He traveled thousands of kilometers for a woman - and returned with a broken heart

A 49-year-old construction worker from Brazil traveled more than 2,100 kilometers for a woman he met online, only to discover she was an AI-generated digital persona. After arriving in Belo Horizonte, he was left without money for the return trip and needed municipal assistance. This is the third case in six months of men falling for a similar scam.

A 49-year-old construction worker from Brazil, Martins, embarked on a journey of more than 2,100 kilometers for a woman he met on the social networks Facebook and Kwai, only to discover she was an AI-generated digital persona. Martins, who had lost his mother and suffered from loneliness, believed he had found a chance at a new life. On Friday, October 9, he set out for the city of Belo Horizonte, arriving on Sunday. After searching in vain for the woman, he contacted a local journalist and learned the truth. Left without money for the return trip, he was assisted by municipal services that provided him with food, lodging, and a bus ticket to the state of Tocantins. The persona of Jessica has over 300,000 followers on TikTok, and the account operators claimed they never had a personal conversation with him. This is the third case in six months of men arriving in Belo Horizonte due to misleading digital content. Martins warns others: 'Anyone can fall into this trap.'