My best friend got scammed out of seventy-five thousand dollars through an AI face-swap impersonating me. She dropped to her knees right there in the public square, a dramatic spectacle designed for virality. She cried that it was her entire life savings. She begged me to pay her back, claiming I was an influencer and made money easily. The entire internet rallied against me, guilt-tripping me into paying her. Even my own brother said Chloe was pathetic and blamed me for the whole mess. I just smirked. Trying to get rich off my back? Dream on! Chloe stood in the middle of the plaza, my photo glaring from the giant screen behind her. “Serena Hayes, you’re a beauty influencer with millions of followers. You make tens of thousands of dollars from a single video. But that seventy-five thousand dollars is all I have! Please, just give it back to me!” “If I hadn’t trusted you so much, if we weren’t best friends, how could I have possibly been scammed out of seventy-five thousand dollars?” “Serena, you spend thousands on an outfit. But this seventy-five thousand dollars? I slaved away for years to save it! My parents are counting on that money for their medical bills and retirement! I’ll do anything for you, be your slave, just give me my money back!” Chloe sobbed, tears streaming down her face, her forehead hitting the ground with loud thuds. Onlookers whipped out their phones, some snapping photos, others starting live streams. “What’s going on? Serena scammed her friend?” “Are all influencers this heartless? She makes thousands so easily, but she’ll still rip off her friend’s life savings?” “No one would beg like this in public unless they were truly desperate. Serena definitely stole the money.” “Influencers like her should be blacklisted! She’s a menace to society. I’m embarrassed to even say I live in the same city as her.” “She’s just standing there, watching her friend bow and scrape, not even a word of comfort. See? Only the shameless ones get rich these days.” Suddenly, a guy, a male fan, charged at me, pointing his finger right in my face. “Serena Hayes, you scammer, pay her back!” The scene erupted into chaos, many people shouting, “Pay her back!” I calmly pulled out my phone and dialed the police. At the same time, I raised my voice. “Chloe, I truly sympathize with you for falling victim to a deepfake scam. What you should be doing right now is reporting it to the police; maybe you can recover some of your losses. I’ve already called 911 for you.” Chloe shrieked, “That account *was* yours! It had your voice, your videos, even private details only you and I knew! You’re the one who scammed me! You just don’t want to pay me back, do you?” I turned to the police officers who had just arrived, shaking my head regretfully. “She’s very agitated right now. I’m worried she might be susceptible to further scams.” “You’re still lying!” Chloe suddenly lunged at me, slapping me across the face. “Serena, you must have scammed so many people! I have proof! It was you!” “You make so much money off your fans, why would you still steal my hard-earned cash? You’re shameless!” Chloe hurled insults, trying to hit me again. The police officers quickly intervened, restraining her. I touched my stinging cheek, tears welling in my eyes. I slowly turned, making sure every camera angle caught my vulnerable, pathetic expression. Just then, my brother, Caleb Hayes, rushed onto the scene. Caleb didn’t even glance at me, immediately launching into an accusation. “What is wrong with you? It’s just seventy-five thousand dollars! Just give it back to Chloe and this whole thing is over. Now everyone knows, have you even considered the impact on your image?” “Chloe lives so frugally, unlike you. You rake in tens of thousands from one ad deal.” “You make money so easily, you should be more understanding of your friend’s struggles. Don’t you agree?”
My eyes widened, staring at my brother in disbelief. A female officer stepped forward to explain. “Sir, please try to understand the situation first. Chloe was a victim of an AI deepfake scam; Serena is also a victim here.” “Caleb,” I said, my voice tinged with disappointment, “Chloe just slapped me. It really hurts.” Caleb glanced around, seeing the crowd holding up their phones, hungry for drama, and waved his hand impatiently. “Oh, please. Chloe was scammed out of seventy-five thousand. She’s way worse off than you are. How can you be so heartless?” I continued to numbly play the role of the internet celebrity betrayed by her own brother. “Caleb, am I your sister or your enemy?” He tried to grab my arm, but I pulled away. Noticing everyone around us was filming, I pretended to wipe my face, a subtle smirk playing on my lips. Caleb and I headed to the Cybercrime Investigation Center together. “Stop pouting,” Caleb grumbled loudly. “So what if Chloe was a little emotional? She lost seventy-five grand, it’s understandable. Can’t you just be the bigger person?” When there was no audience, I simply looked at Caleb, my expression cool and collected. He sheepishly shut his mouth. Caleb was my actual brother, and my fans all knew him as my valuable “assistant” in my career. After I blew up online, I started to pivot, creating couple-themed content, with Caleb playing my boyfriend. But in reality, he was nothing more than a convenient prop I’d carefully selected. Now, with Chloe’s little stunt, I figured it was time to cut him loose. As I quickly strategized how to sever ties with Caleb without hurting my account’s numbers, I asked the staff about Chloe’s situation. Soon, investigators confirmed that Chloe had indeed fallen victim to an AI deepfake scam. On a niche social media platform called “GlamMirror” with only about ten thousand users, someone had used AI technology to synthesize my photos and videos, mimicked my voice, and impersonated me. Chloe, thinking it was me, didn’t verify and simply believed the scammer’s request for money, transferring seventy-five thousand dollars to a specified account. But Chloe still insisted the account was mine, that the money was in my hands, and that I needed to pay her back. Caleb sighed after hearing the details. “Chloe was so good to you, lending you seventy-five thousand just like that. So loyal. And you? She’s on her knees begging you, and you won’t budge. You’re truly ruthless.” I ignored Caleb and raised a question. “Chloe was scammed at 5 PM yesterday. I was in my storage room selecting products at that exact time, and she lives right next door. Why didn’t she just ask me directly?” Chloe retorted, “Everyone knows you’re a big influencer, you’re so image-conscious. That’s why you didn’t want to ask me for a loan face-to-face, you just SnapChatted me. So I transferred the money.” “If I didn’t trust you, I wouldn’t have given you the money. Officer, I have proof, that account was definitely Serena’s,” Chloe said excitedly. A familiar female officer next to me shook her head helplessly. Caleb sighed again, “Chloe, you’re truly something. Don’t worry, Chloe, I’ll make sure Serena gives you an explanation.” I elbowed Caleb hard. Caleb winced. “Serena, you really are partly responsible for this. You’re a public figure, and you’ve even done anti-scam PSAs before. You should take more responsibility.” “If you had just registered an account on that platform earlier, you wouldn’t have been impersonated, and Chloe wouldn’t have fallen for it,” Caleb said, as if it were obvious. I threw my hands up, exasperated by my cluelessly naive brother’s comments. Chloe clung to her story, insisting the account was mine, crying endlessly about how important the money was to her. Caleb was even more indignant. “Don’t worry, Chloe, I’ll give you Serena’s debit card. You can use it to buy whatever you need these next few days.” In an unnoticed corner, Chloe suddenly turned to me. “Serena, who told you to be an influencer? It’s your fault you make money easily. I swear, I’ll make you pay me back for this.”
It clicked. Chloe was doing this on purpose. She knew perfectly well she’d been scammed, but she didn’t want to bear the loss herself, so she planned to make me pay for it. The only thing that puzzled me was why Chloe, knowing my personality, would think I’d ever ask someone for money. Even more, I was in my storage room selecting products at the time, my phone left in my room. There was no way I could have SnapChatted her for a loan. Chloe’s room faced the storage room; she couldn’t *not* have seen me. Yet she still transferred the seventy-five thousand. I was pondering the strange inconsistencies. Chloe started sobbing again. Caleb, who had just returned with a glass of water, quickly handed her a tissue and tried to comfort her. “Don’t worry, Chloe. Since this whole thing involves Serena, I’ll make sure she takes full responsibility. You won’t lose seventy-five thousand for nothing.” Chloe clutched Caleb’s arm tightly. “Really? I know you two run a million-follower account together, you don’t lack this kind of money. You’re such a good person, but Serena… can you guarantee she’ll pay me back?” “Caleb.” I frowned, my gaze like a knife. Caleb wriggled free from Chloe’s grasp. “Just stop crying, okay? We’ll figure it out when we get there.” Not getting a clear promise from Caleb, Chloe’s expression stiffened slightly. I pretended not to notice the silent exchange between them. I mused that this incident might be the perfect opportunity for my account’s transformation. And I could finally shed Caleb and operate the account independently. As I was leaving the police station, Officer Davis, who I knew well, called out to me. “Serena, you’ve always cooperated with us on anti-scam campaigns. I’ve seen all your hard work.” “But this situation with your friend has had a terrible impact. Your role as a Cyber Safety Ambassador might have to be put on hold for a while.” I froze. As a top beauty influencer, I’d seen too many peers lose followers and plummet in engagement due to various unforeseen events. I’d been planning for all possibilities for a long time. The Cyber Safety Ambassador role was a strategic move to diversify my presence. It would be a lie to say I wasn’t disappointed. I didn’t hide my feelings. “Officer Davis, Chloe is too emotional right now, and I can’t really reason with her.” “I know this money is important to her, but if I pay her back, it sets a bad precedent for anti-scam efforts.” In the future, anyone who encounters a similar situation might demand compensation. Officer Davis understood my point. “You’re right, you shouldn’t have to pay. Legally speaking, no one can force you to compensate her.” “Thanks, Officer Davis. Actually, I was thinking, if people are willing to start a fundraiser for Chloe, I’d contribute a significant amount myself to help her through this.” I voiced my true thoughts. Everyone wanted to guilt-trip me into paying seventy-five thousand. But when an actual fundraiser began, I wondered how generous these people would really be. Officer Davis looked surprised. “Serena, you’re really too kind.” I smiled, accepting her praise. Little did she know, the transformation from a small-town girl to a million-follower influencer had nothing to do with kindness; it was all about calculated moves for maximum gain. Back at my apartment, I finally had time to check the online chatter. Chloe’s public kneeling video was already attention-grabbing. My influencer status only added fuel to the fire. The comment section of my latest video was a warzone, flooded with angry netizens. They demanded to know why I wouldn’t pay her back, why I’d just stand there while my best friend knelt. I opened various beauty forums and social media platforms; everywhere, people were calling for a boycott against me: *This kind of unethical influencer should be blacklisted! Everyone unfollow her! Like if you agree!* Responses poured in. A few reasonable people said, “It was an AI deepfake scam! Go after the criminals! Why should a rich person pay just because someone got scammed?” Unfortunately, most people were selectively blind, continuing to hurl insults at me. Until the police released an official statement. Major beauty communities and influencer groups also put out alerts: *Ms. Yao, the best friend of a well-known beauty influencer, Ms. Fang, was scammed out of seventy-five thousand dollars through an “AI deepfake impersonation” on a social media app. At the time of the incident, Ms. Fang and Ms. Yao were living together in their shared apartment. Ms. Yao believed the AI-synthesized video call without verification and transferred the money, resulting in a loss. We hope all netizens learn from this and remain vigilant.* Both the police and social media platforms had made their statements. After the incident was officially classified, Chloe became even more frantic. She went straight to the apartment rooftop, claiming I had driven her to despair and she was going to commit suicide. She was eventually rescued by firefighters. She caused the scene, but I was the one getting dragged.
Chloe’s suicide attempt immediately trended online. My comment section was drowned in a flood of hateful messages: “Are all influencers this heartless? Serena’s face just screams bad news. She definitely set up the scam.” “A twenty-something girl kneeling in public and attempting suicide? That alone tells me she’s not faking it. There’s definitely a twist to this story; wait for the police investigation results.” “Even if the police investigated, everyone knows that money from AI scams is impossible to get back. Chloe fell for it because of Serena, so Serena should be responsible!” “Didn’t Serena always say she donated to charity every year? Now her own best friend is in trouble, and she’s playing dead?” “Can you trust an influencer’s persona? It’s probably just a scripted drama for views. Serena is so shameless, using her best friend for popularity.” “Haha, Serena finally crashed and burned, serves her right! Chloe used to appear in Serena’s videos, and Serena always used Chloe to make herself look better. Hope everyone sees Serena’s true colors soon.” I’d been in the social media game for so long, I knew exactly how many of those comments were from paid trolls. Clearly, Chloe didn’t just want my money; she wanted to destroy my career. An idea began to form in my mind. Because of this media storm, two major makeup brands had already said they were pausing their partnerships with me. My brother, Caleb, was furious when he found out. “How can you be so brainless? It’s just seventy-five grand! You should’ve just paid Chloe and been done with it. Now you’ve jeopardized the whole account. If you can’t handle this, maybe I should take over.” I scoffed. “Caleb, what the hell are you talking about?” I started my social media journey in my freshman year of college. Back then, when my followers first broke fifty thousand, I convinced Caleb to film some fake couple videos with me to attract more traffic. Those videos unexpectedly went viral because Caleb’s good looks attracted a ton of new followers. My account growth had hit a plateau, and simple beauty and fashion videos weren’t attracting new fans anymore. After much thought, I realized I could use the “sweet couple” persona with Caleb to pivot and attract more views. Even though my brother had plenty of flaws, for the sake of my career, I still convinced him to keep playing along. I meticulously planned every video, laying groundwork for when I’d eventually split the account. After this whole mess, I figured more and more fans would demand I go “solo.” I silently listened to Caleb’s unpleasant words. His current behavior was exactly what I needed for my next step in the rebrand. After parting ways with Caleb on bad terms, I contacted Officer Davis. “Officer Davis, this ten thousand dollars is my personal donation to Chloe. Could you please discreetly transfer it to her? I don’t want to hurt her pride.” The entire internet was calling me heartless. But as long as I occupied the moral high ground first, no one could guilt-trip me anymore. And Chloe? She was now leveraging her “victim” status, starting live streams to milk sympathy. Chloe began live streaming in the apartment living room, day and night. “Serena, I don’t even have money for food now. My parents passed away, so I can only rely on live streaming to make money. You don’t mind, do you?”
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