Ontario Senior Loses $900,000 to a Terrifying AI Crypto Scam

An 86-year-old Ontario woman has come forward with her story after losing more than $900,000 to a highly sophisticated cryptocurrency investment fraud that used a realistic AI-generated deepfake video of Prime Minister Mark Carney, CP24 reports.

The trouble began in the summer of 2025 when Judy Skene, an elderly widow living alone in Sault Ste. Marie, was browsing Facebook. She encountered an advertisement that appeared to feature Prime Minister Mark Carney actively promoting a new cryptocurrency platform.

In the video, the digital impersonation of the political leader claimed that a small investment of $350 Canadian would be fully backed by the Bank of Canada, providing a safe and guaranteed way to generate wealth.

Trusting the message because of the familiar public figure, Skene clicked the link attached to the video, signed up on the platform, and made the initial $350 deposit. Shortly after making her first payment, she received a phone call from an individual claiming to be an investment advisor. The caller told her that her money had already tripled in value, pushing her to invest more heavily to maximize her returns

Over the next few months, the fraudsters maintained regular contact, guiding Skene through a series of increasingly large financial transfers. The fraudulent platform displayed a fake dashboard showing that her funds were growing rapidly and had almost doubled. Believing the data on the screen, Skene transferred her entire life savings. When she ran out of liquid funds, the scammers convinced her to take out a $300,000 mortgage on her condominium to keep the momentum going.

The deception came to a sudden halt once the final major transfer was completed. The fraudulent platform locked her out, the website became inaccessible, and all communication with the supposed advisors stopped entirely. In total, Skene was defrauded of $900,000, leaving her completely broke and unable to cover her basic monthly expenses.

The financial loss had immediate, devastating effects on her daily life. Longtime friend Pat Probert, who lives in Toronto, stepped in to help after noticing that Skene was in an incredibly distraught state. He discovered that her condo fees were bouncing, alongside her car and home insurance payments.

Probert has since launched a GoFundMe campaign to help her manage immediate living costs, noting that Skene has no immediate family or children to support her through the crisis.