A Singaporean man said he was left “traumatized” after discovering that an ex-classmate had created several AI-generated pictures of them together to fulfill her fantasies.
The images showed the pair going on dates and him holding a newborn that did not exist.
The case, reported by The Straits Times, highlights the dangers of artificial intelligence in an age when millions of people post pictures on social media without thinking about who might see them or how they might be used.
Highlights
- A man woke up to find that a former classmate had used AI to edit his pictures, making them appear to be a happy family.
- The woman claimed that the man was her fiancé and that they had a baby together.
- The man has reportedly taken legal action under Singapore's Protection from Harassment Act.
Image credits: Ahmet Kurt/Unsplash (Not the actual photo)
It all began last December, when Luke, who used a pseudonym to protect his identity, was alerted by a friend to pictures of him living a parallel, fake life.
Luke, a single administrative assistant, only realized who the woman in the pictures was after a few weeks.
“I spoke no more than two sentences to her when we were in school,” the man said of his former classmate, who he had last seen 15 years ago.
Image credits: ryanking999/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
The man explained that he had been completely unaware of the woman's obsession with him when they were in school.
“From the very few times I’ve seen or had any interactions with her, I had no idea she was capable of doing this.”
One of the pictures posted on the woman’s Instagram account reportedly showed her pregnant, while another showed the fake family with a caption that read, “My boys.”
Image credits: masrusdyanamr/Threads
According to The Straits Times, the woman’s account has since been deactivated.
“It’s traumatizing to learn that your pictures were used in such an elaborate narrative,” Luke said of his classmate’s social media content featuring them as a happy couple.
Not only did the woman use Luke’s social media photos, but she also included his sister‘s young children.
Image credits: masrusdyanamr/Threads
"We were very worried and concerned that this stranger has photos and videos of my children stored in her phone and was sharing them online as and when she likes,” Luke’s sister said.
In one of the doctored images, the woman, who claimed to be Luke’s fianceé, made it appear as though she was photographing her “niece and nephew.”
Seeing her children’s photos used in the elaborate narrative left Luke’s sister feeling “paranoid and anxious” about what she posts on social media.
Image credits: Odua Images/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
The victim’s sister reportedly tried to contact the woman to request that she take down the AI-generated posts, but she never heard back.
This prompted her to make a social media post about the incident on the Meta-owned platform Threads. Shared on June 7, the post went viral, receiving 12,000 likes and pushing the woman to finally respond to Luke’s sister.
“She said she did it out of love for my brother,” Luke’s sister explained. “Living in this fairy-tale world and getting attention made her feel happy and good.”
Image credits: Prostock-studio/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
As a result of the incident, both Luke and his sister have made their social media accounts private.
Luke had filed a police report against his former classmate, but he was reportedly advised to pursue legal action under Singapore’s Protection from Harassment Act.
According to lawyer Kevin Liew, the Act can cover AI-generated photos, impersonation, and false online posts.
Liew told The Straits Times that the Act does not require evidence that the defendant intended to harass the complainant.
“It is enough that the conduct is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress, which may be proven by the fabricated relationship, the fake pregnancy and the use of family pictures,” explained the crime practice head at law firm Gloria James-Civetta and Co.
Image credits: Getty Images/Unsplash (Not the actual photo)
After an application is filed, both parties meet in court and may be directed to attend mediation to resolve the matter.
If the parties are unable to reach an agreement, the case proceeds to trial, where the court determines whether to grant a protection order.
In addition to claiming to be Luke’s fiancée, the woman posed as Luke himself.
Several people reportedly contacted Luke’s sister to warn her that the woman had used Luke’s pictures to befriend them on various platforms.
Image credits: Ahmet Kurt/Unsplash (Not the actual photo)
While posing as Luke, she allegedly established online relationships, some dating back to 2017.
Clinical psychologist Carol Balhetchet said the woman’s behavior suggests she may be suffering from delusional thinking.
“This can go on forever until such time as there is a situation – good or bad in her head – for her to finally get in physical contact with her victim,” Balhetchet noted.
Image credits: Africa Studio/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
The case comes two years after a Singaporean model was blackmailed with explicit AI-generated images of herself after posing for an audition.
According to the South China Morning Post, the scammer threatened to release the edited images if she did not pay him thousands of dollars.
Image credits: Studio Romantic/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
The model filed a police report, describing the experience as “traumatizing.”
“At that point in time, I just forced myself to do it because I didn’t want someone else to go through this,” she said.
Last November, Singapore passed a bill to protect victims of online harms. The legislation reportedly addresses 13 categories of online harm, including online harassment and doctored intimate images.
