Subvolts take AI powers a new wave of sophisticated romance scams, impacting consumers and demanding better AI safety measures. Jan 31, 2026 - Developers
- Be aware of how AI tools can be misused for scams, influencing the need for robust safety measures in your own applications.
- Business
- Understand the evolving landscape of AI-powered fraud, requiring vigilance in protecting customers and detecting sophisticated scams.
- Everyday users
- Exercise caution with online dating and unsolicited romantic advances, as AI can now be used to create highly convincing and manipulative scams.
This demonstrates a significant AI-enabled criminal operation, highlighting new safety challenges for AI providers and consumers.
Operation “Date Bait”: AI-enabled scam targeting loveseekers
OpenAI banned accounts that very likely originated in Cambodia and used AI for scam outreach to Indonesian loveseekers, including translation and engagement.
This case study was originally published in OpenAI’s February 2026(opens in a new window) report on disrupting malicious uses of AI.
We banned a cluster of ChatGPT accounts and one API customer that were using our models to run a semi-automated romance and task scam likely defrauding hundreds of victims a month. This activity very likely originated in Cambodia and aligns with recent public reporting(opens in a new window) on Chinese-led criminal scam operations in the country. In isolated cases, individual users self-identified as scam workers in Cambodia, such as when asking the model for tax advice and stating their occupation as “scammer”.
The network used ChatGPT and API access to our models to conduct a scaled, semi-automated romance task scam, following a structured workflow and operating model reminiscent of cold- outreach sales programs .…
Opening of the original on OpenAI News From Subvolts
Summary and analysis by Subvolts editorial, AI-assisted.
OpenAI banned accounts used in a large-scale romance and task scam targeting Indonesian men. The operation, likely based in Cambodia, used ChatGPT and API access to automate outreach, build trust, and pressure victims into paying for fake services. Scammers also used the models for operational tasks like website updates and financial analysis, potentially defrauding hundreds of victims monthly.
Scammers used AI tools to create fake dating profiles and send persuasive messages. They tricked people into paying money for fake services, sometimes hundreds of victims a month. This shows how AI can be used for harmful purposes.
This case highlights how AI tools can be weaponized for sophisticated scams. The "Klub Romantis" operation demonstrates a structured, semi-automated approach blending human operators with AI for scaled fraud. It affects consumers targeted by romance scams and raises questions about AI safety and the responsibility of AI providers. Future efforts will likely focus on detecting and disrupting such AI-enabled criminal networks.
- Company: OpenAI
- Product: ChatGPT, OpenAI API
- Scam Type: Romance and task scam
- Origin: Likely Cambodia
- Target Region: Indonesia
- Reported Impact: Potentially hundreds of victims per month
- API
- Application Programming Interface: A set of rules and protocols that allows different software applications to communicate with each other.
- A way for computer programs to talk to each other and share information.
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Questions people ask
- Where did this scam originate?
- The activity very likely originated in Cambodia and aligns with reporting on Chinese-led criminal scam operations there.
- How did the scammers use AI?
- They used AI for generating promotional texts, posing as chatbots, creating romantic and explicit messages, translating communications, and assisting with operational tasks.
- Who was targeted by this scam?
- The scammers targeted Indonesian men interested in luxury lifestyle content, using AI to build trust and pressure them into making payments.
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Page generated Oct 19, 2026. Summaries are Subvolts' own; the story belongs to OpenAI News.