Restore My Son’s Faith in Humanity After a Scam

Late last night, my son received a FaceTime call. The caller had no contact ID, but my son answered, thinking it was his girlfriend. Within moments, he was being exploited. The scammer used AI software to superimpose my son’s face onto an explicit video and then demanded money.

The scammer managed to steal his entire paycheck of $600. As a dad, it was a helpless moment—I tried to guide him to end the call and freeze his social media, but the scammer had manipulated him to the point of compliance, driven by fear of the video being shared. This vile excuse for a human tormented my son for 3 hours until he got his money. 3 hours of the highest anxiety a person could suffer from. Seeing that fear and anxiety on my son’s face was absolutely heartbreaking.

Currently, I’m at a loss for words. Preying on the young and vulnerable seems all too common in today’s world, and it’s beyond unacceptable. My focus now is on helping my son heal and restoring his faith in humanity.

My goal is to raise enough money to make it right for a 17 yr old kid who went through a traumatic experience. I feel that if community can help, it would open his eyes to all the good that we still have in this world. If this fundraiser ends up being successful, any additional proceeds over what my son lost, will be distributed amongst local charities of his choice.

Thank you so much for any support & PLEASE inform your kids of this latest scam & ensure they DO NOT answer a video chat without associated contact information.