Popular Athlete Pleads Guilty to Fraud in Bizarre Selfie Scam
Credit: deagreez / Adobe Stock
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Last year, AI-powered digital identity verification and fraud prevention provider Socure warned of a unique new form of identity theft. With the help of more advanced generative artificial intelligence, fraudsters can now use a person’s selfie to trick identity verification methods. A thief can either obtain your photo directly, snap a picture of it on a document or from another screen, or even grab your headshot online from social media to produce a persuasive fake ID.
These “deepfakes” can be used for multiple nefarious purposes, like opening an account in your name or even hacking a device. With a doctored photo, the hacker now has visual verification in addition to other forms of documentation, like your address and social security number, often exchanged on the dark web.
DJ Carey, a 54-year-old Irish hurling legend, recently pleaded guilty in Dublin’s criminal court to a comedic twist on the “selfie scam.” It seems he was ahead of his time. Carey admitted to 10 counts of deception between 2014 and 2022 for duping multiple people into giving him money to support his cancer treatment over the eight-year span.
The catch? He didn’t have cancer. Instead, he used a selfie with what appears to be a medical tube up his nose. It wasn’t a medical tube, but an iPhone charging cable.
One of the people he fooled is billionaire Denis O’Brien, who made his fortune as the founder of Digicel, a Caribbean-based mobile phone network. It’s a wonder none of the victims smelled something fishy. Even at first glance, that “tube” sure looks like an iPhone cable. Despite having legitimate health issues relating to his heart, it appears Carey’s fame garnered him enough sympathy to get away with it, at least for a while.
Carey was often known as the “Maradona of hurling” for his exceptional talent, a reference to former Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona. This celebrity’s stunning fall from grace is certainly embarrassing. While the photograph may give you a few chuckles, it should serve as a reminder to beware of this relatively new and popular scam. In the age of generative AI, don’t believe everything you see at first glance.
