An 82-year-old retired teacher from Florida lost almost $200,000 of her retirement savings after falling victim to a sophisticated AI deepfake scam that leveraged her desperation to secure care for her autistic grandson.
Maurine Meleck had thought she was being sensible fiscally when, many months ago, she watched a video on Facebook that seemed to feature Dr. Pierre Kory, a much-publicized doctor during the COVID-19 pandemic. He appeared to be giving her a way to “significantly increase” her money through cryptocurrency investments. What she didn’t know at the time was that the whole video was an AI fake.
“There was a video of him talking,” Meleck recalled. “It was obviously AI, and I don’t know how that works, but I believed it, and I fell for it, and I have nobody to blame but myself.”
The scam began in October 2024 when Meleck encountered the deepfake video.
The technology was apparently very convincing, however, because the recipient never actually wondered if she was seeing, hearing, or actually dealing with the real Doctor Kory. The fake doctor told the recipient that he would put the information in a “special fund” if he had it.
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In the case of Meleck, the motivation for investment was not for selfish gain in money or material possessions. It was actually motivated by love. Meleck has spent the last two decades of her life caring for her 28-year-old grandson Joshua, born with autism at just two and a half years of age. She retired at the age of 61 in order to care for Joshua after moving him in at the age of six.
“My idea was to make more money so that I could put it away for Josh when I passed away,” she explained.
Meleck, who holds degrees in history and political science, trusted Dr. Kory partly because of his controversial views on autism treatment. This trust made her vulnerable to the scammers who impersonated him.
Following the initial video, Meleck began communicating via Facebook Messenger with someone she believed was Dr. Kory. The impostor advised her to use something called the Quantum Financial System (QFS) to increase her investment returns. She proceeded to send money by email and check, converting her stock market retirement savings into cryptocurrency.
The devastating truth emerged when Meleck tried to withdraw some of her investment and became suspicious. On November 11, 2025, police arrived to investigate her report. Their verdict was crushing.
“They said that in all likelihood, I would not get my money back,” Meleck said. Police determined she had been communicating with an impostor, and Meleck couldn’t identify who ultimately received the funds.
The impact in terms of emotions has been grave indeed. “I was just devastated,” she said. “I lost 20 pounds. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep. I just was so angry with myself.”
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Meleck’s financial position can be described as fragile. She currently pays $1,650 monthly for her accommodation, which has almost doubled in price from when she rented the apartment ten years ago.
To support the care of Joshua in the future, she has been able to raise about $18,000 for Joshua through GoFundMe. Her worries, however, increased when the IRS notified her that clearing tax complications from the scam would take 585 days due to governmental closures.
Despite all that she has lost, however, Meleck seems to be making the best of the situation. “I still think about it, and I still feel angry with myself, but not as much as I used to,” she said. “Well, you have to get on with your life, and I still have Josh here, I still have to look after him, so I have no choice.”
She’s now leveraging her painful experience to spread awareness about the cleverly crafted AI-based scams. Her message for the scammers is very straightforward and honest.
“I do not understand people who steal money, particularly from those in great need and someone who has raised a person with autism,” Meleck said. “I just think that there are some horrible people in the world, and you, the scammer, are one of them. You’re atrocious. It’s a terrible thing you’ve done.”
Meleck’s case highlights how AI technology is being weaponized by criminals to create convincing deepfakes that can fool even educated, cautious individuals. As these scams become more sophisticated, experts warn that anyone can become a victim, especially when scammers exploit deeply personal concerns like caring for a loved one with special needs.
