Heartbroken woman scammed out of $10K by AI-using crook posing as Jon Bon Jovi

She gave love a chance.A scammer gave it a bad name.For months, Leslie Pickett thought she was talking to Jon Bon Jovi, the rock star she had adored since she was 14.

The man behind the screen messaged her day and night, sent convincing videos and eventually persuaded her to hand over thousands of dollars.By the time the deception unraveled, she had lost more than $10,000 and came close to losing her home.“My heart was shattered,” the Louisiana resident told Fox News Digital.“I was still willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

But there was nothing but ill intent.That’s what hurt the most.”Pickett’s story is featured in the National Geographic documentary special “Super Scam Me,” in which Emmy Award-winning journalist Mariana van Zeller goes undercover to investigate online scams, traveling to Africa to confront a suspected scammer face-to-face.“We’re living in the era of scams,” van Zeller told Fox News Digital.

“Romance scams, in particular, are the fastest growing, and I believe, most devastating form of financial crime out there.One in seven Americans have reported losing money to romance scams.

And so, I think now is the best time to raise awareness.”Fox News Digital reached out to Bon Jovi’s spokesperson for comment.Pickett, who was “more of a Facebook person,” was introduced to Instagram by her daughter.She came across Bon Jovi’s verified account in late 2024 and commented on one of his posts.

Five minutes later, she received a response from an account that appeared to belong to Bon Jovi himself.However, the account wasn’t verified.“He gave very thoughtful answers to my questions, so I genuinely thought it was him,” Pickett said.

“And I wasn’t too knowledgeable about those check marks.I had doubts, but hey, a girl can dream.”According to Pickett, the impostor told her Bon Jovi wanted to connect with his fans more personally.

He also warned that if Bon Jovi’s management discovered the secret account,...