ISLAMABAD – A woman lost her life savings after falling victim to an online romance scam in which fraudsters allegedly used an AI-generated deepfake to impersonate Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, highlighting the growing use of artificial intelligence in online fraud.

The woman, identified only as Maria, said she met the scammer on a dating platform before the conversation shifted to a messaging application, where she received frequent romantic messages and participated in video calls that appeared to feature the Dubai royal.

According to Maria, the person on the calls closely resembled Sheikh Hamdan, popularly known as Fazza, although the voice did not match his own.

Believing she was communicating with the prince, Maria said she paid 100,000 Philippine pesos (around $1,625) after being told the money was required for a marriage certificate and a “royal membership card” that would help her secure employment in Dubai.

She became suspicious after the scammer requested an additional 60,000 pesos (around $974) for a hotel booking ahead of a proposed meeting. On reviewing the Facebook account used to contact her, she found it appeared to originate from Nigeria before ending all communication.

Researchers cited in the report said some of the scams impersonating the Dubai royal have been traced to organised crime groups operating in Nigeria.

The case reflects a wider pattern of online romance scams in which fraudsters exploit Sheikh Hamdan’s public profile to gain victims’ trust. The prince has more than 17 million followers on Instagram, and scammers have reportedly copied his photographs, poems and online content to create convincing fake social media accounts.

Several Facebook groups posing as the royal have encouraged users to continue conversations on WhatsApp or Telegram, where victims are allegedly persuaded to send money for fabricated marriage certificates, donations or other payments.

An awareness campaign on Instagram titled “Do not fall for fake prince” and a Change.org petition called “Stop Fazza Scam” have urged authorities and the prince’s representatives to warn the public about the fraudulent schemes.

According to the petition, victims are often instructed to transfer money to bank accounts in third countries or use cryptocurrencies, making transactions more difficult to trace.

Dubai authorities did not respond to requests for comment, according to the report.

The case comes amid broader concerns over the use of artificial intelligence in online scams. Advances in face-swapping and real-time motion-control technology have made it increasingly easy to create convincing deepfake videos.

David Rand, a professor at Cornell University, said the technology was improving rapidly and warned that increasingly realistic real-time deepfakes could make it far more difficult to distinguish genuine video conversations from fabricated ones.

According to the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, consumers worldwide lost an estimated $442 billion to scams last year, including romance fraud.

BEIRUT – Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem on Saturday rejected the US-brokered framework agreement signed between Lebanon and Israel, declaring it “null and void” and calling for the implementation of the Iranian-US memorandum of understanding instead.

In his first public remarks since the agreement was signed in Washington following the fifth round of negotiations between Beirut and Tel Aviv on Friday, Qassem said Israel must withdraw from Lebanese territory in accordance with the Iranian-American understanding.

“This agreement is null and void, and the provisions of the Iranian-American memorandum of understanding must be implemented,” he said in a statement.

Qassem also rejected any proposal linking an Israeli military withdrawal to the disarmament of Hezbollah and other resistance groups across Lebanon, describing it as “a very dangerous proposal” that crossed “all red lines”.

He warned that such a move would leave Lebanon vulnerable and turn the country “into a plaything in the hands of the Israeli enemy”.

His remarks come amid growing debate in Lebanon over the agreement. While some politicians and media outlets have welcomed the deal as a potentially significant step towards stability, others have criticised it as a unilateral concession to Israel.

Lebanon and Israel signed the US-sponsored framework agreement in Washington on Friday after five rounds of negotiations aimed at resolving longstanding disputes between the two sides.

According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli attacks since March 2 have killed more than 4,000 people and wounded over 4,000 others in Lebanon.

LONDON –  Britain’s King Charles has become the first reigning monarch to publicly disclose details of his personal tax contributions, with Buckingham Palace releasing the information amid renewed scrutiny of royal finances and property arrangements.

According to palace officials, the king has paid more than $41 million in personal taxes since ascending the throne in 2022.

The disclosure came as the Royal Household responded to public discussion surrounding the monarchy’s finances and the management of royal properties.

Palace officials also confirmed that King Charles and Queen Camilla would not move into Buckingham Palace after the completion of its taxpayer-funded renovation project. Instead, the couple will continue to reside at Clarence House.

Buckingham Palace will remain the monarchy’s principal administrative headquarters and venue for official engagements, including state ceremonies, receptions and meetings, officials said.

Separately, Prince William released details of financial plans for the Duchy of Cornwall, outlining a long-term strategy focused on housing developments, environmental initiatives and community investment across several regions.

The Prince of Wales also said that income generated from Dartmoor Prison, which provides annual rental revenue to the duchy, would be directed towards supporting local communities.