He’s fighting back tears, struggling to speak through the emotional pain. “Well…my life, right now…doesn’t really exist.” George Hendricks, a 69-year-old in Leesburg, Florida, can hardly keep it together in the interview. After losing thousands of dollars of hard-earned savings to a scam, the couple, who’ve spent decades together, might split. The house might be gone, too. And it all started with a Facebook message from Elon Musk.

Deepfake AI Elon Musk tells Florida man he’s won a car and $100,000 cash

The message looked like the internet’s version of a golden ticket. A flashy Facebook post from a car giveaway group. The billionaire’s name. A promise that sounded just believable enough to stop a scroll.

That combination cost the Leesburg, Florida, man nearly $45,000.

According to ClickOrlando and Leesburg police, Hendricks fell victim to a scam that used deepfake videos made to look and sound like Elon Musk.

Hendricks reported that the ordeal has left his finances in ruins and his 39-year marriage on the brink.

The scheme began when Hendricks commented in a Facebook group promoting an Elon Musk car giveaway. Not long after, he received a direct message congratulating him for winning $100,000 and a new car. He explained that the use of Musk’s name and image made the offer feel legitimate.

The conversation quickly moved from Facebook to WhatsApp, a common red flag investigators often see in financial scams

Hendricks then received a personalized video he believed showed Elon Musk confirming the prize.

To release the car, the scammers said he needed to send $7,500 in cash for shipping. Hendricks complied.

That was only the start

The scammers followed up with supposed investment opportunities, claiming a $10,000 payment would turn into $120,000. When Hendricks hesitated, another deepfake Elon Musk video arrived, reassuring him and urging trust.

Over time, he explained, he drained bank accounts and maxed out credit cards, sending nearly $37,000 more.

No car ever arrived. No money came back

Hendricks eventually filed a police report in Leesburg.

Cybersecurity expert Kieran Human of ThreatLocker explained that deepfake videos are now easy to produce, often requiring less than a minute of real footage.

He reported that early signs of fakes include unnatural movement, such as faces animating while the neck and body stay still. He also warned that these “tells” are getting harder to spot as the technology improves.

How to avoid car giveaway scams

Experts recommend slowing down, verifying promotions through official company websites, refusing requests to move conversations to private messaging apps, and never paying fees to claim prizes. If cash, gift cards, or crypto are requested, that’s the exit ramp.

I’ll add that scammers often bet hard on the elderly. Its best family members have a system set up to flag or avoid large purchases or cash transfers.

Hendricks said he never thought it would happen to him. That assumption is exactly what these heartbreaking scams, ones that steal influential billionaire identities like Elon Musk, count on.