• Fraudsters utilise real-time ‘hard to detect’ fake video calls; use social media accounts with royal imagery, stolen content to build trust
• Scammers are linked to fraud networks operating from West Africa
• Victims transfer hundreds of dollars before realising deception

WASHINGTON: Maria believed she was romancing a prince from Dubai, captivated by his flirtatious smile and declarations of affection he showered on her during live video calls. But the suitor was an AI deepfake, making her yet another victim of an online romance scam.

The case illustrates how fraudsters posing as the crown prince ensnare victims by cultivating online relationships before swindling them. Researchers have traced some of the scams to crime syndicates in Nigeria.

Maria, who requested her real name and age be withheld, met the scammer impersonating Prince Hamdan, also known as Fazza, on a dating site. The conversation moved to a messaging app where he bombarded her with romantic messages.

“He kept on messaging me even when I was sleeping,” she said. “It felt like there was a love spell that connected our minds.”

In one recording of a WhatsApp video call, the scammer, appearing lifelike as the prince, flickered on the screen. His words matched his lip movements, but the voice was not the prince’s. “Hello beloved,” the voice told Maria. “I really appreciate your love and support.”

Initially too lovelorn to suspect fraud, Maria lost her entire year’s savings. The scammer manipulated her into paying 100,000 pesos ($1,625) for what he claimed were a marriage certificate and a “royal membership card” to secure a job in Dubai.

Her suspicion arose when he proposed meeting her at a hotel and demanded another 60,000 pesos ($974) for the booking. When she scrutinised his Facebook page, since taken down, she noticed the account was based in Nigeria.

She cut off communication, sending one final message: “Go to hell, scammer.”

“Many people told me it’s good I didn’t go crazy after this experience,” Maria said.

The fraud is part of a broader ecosystem of “fake Dubai prince” scams targeting hearts and wallets. Scammers exploit the Emirati royal’s likeness by drawing on his vast online presence, including more than 17 million Instagram followers, and sometimes copying his authentic poems to deceive victims.

Multiple Facebook groups impersonating the royal invite users to WhatsApp or Telegram chats with the “prince”.

The groups post manipulated but lifelike images, including one depicting the prince on one knee holding a ring and another offering a red rose captioned: “Sweetheart can I get a ‘love you’ on WhatsApp?”

While some users warned in the comments that the posts are scams, many responded with blowing-kiss emojis. As the fraud spreads, awareness groups have sprung up, including an Instagram account called “Do not fall for fake prince”.

A Change.org petition titled “Stop Fazza Scam” called on Sheikh Hamdan’s staff to raise awareness against scammers using Dubai phone numbers to request large sums of money as donations or forged marriage certificates.

“Significant payments are requested in banks in countries other than those of victims, sometimes even in cryptocurrencies, making it harder to trace,” the petition said.

Dubai authorities did not respond to requests for comment.

Hamdan is far from the only public figure exploited by scammers. Last year, French authorities launched a probe to identify fraudsters posing as Brad Pitt who scammed a woman out of 830,000 euros ($945,000).

The Global Anti-Scam Alliance estimates consumers worldwide lost $442 billion to scams last year, including romance fraud.

It remains unclear which AI tools were used to generate the video chats with Maria. The internet is awash with AI-powered face-swapping technology and motion-control tools capable of producing highly realistic videos, allowing users to precisely manipulate facial expressions in real time.

“The technology is improving rapidly, and it is likely that soon real-time video deepfakes will become better and better,” David Rand of Cornell University said. “Once this happens, it becomes fundamentally impossible to tell whether any not-in-person conversation is real.”

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2026