Brazilian Man Travels 2,000 km to Meet AI Influencer Who Never Existed
A bricklayer sold his belongings to visit a fictional farm woman, highlighting risks of AI-generated parasocial relationships.
Key points
- Edimar Rocha Martins traveled from Brazil to Belo Horizonte to meet an AI persona.
- The account operator stated the character was for engagement and affiliate sales.
- Police could not determine if a crime occurred in the incident.
A 49-year-old bricklayer from Brazil sold his possessions and traveled 2,000 kilometers by bus to meet an online influencer who turned out to be a fictional AI-generated character, according to research published by Malwarebytes Labs.
Edimar Rocha Martins, who lives in Imperatriz, believed he had been communicating with “Jéssica Fazendeira” since 2020. He decided to visit after the persona offered to fund his trip and allow him to live on her farm near Belo Horizonte, despite the account operator denying any private interaction.
The Nature of the Deception
The account administrator stated that the character was created in 2025 to attract viewers and promote products through affiliate sales, not to deceive individuals into traveling. The operator posted a message on TikTok clarifying that the profile was made of artificial intelligence and had never spoken directly to anyone, much less invited them to Belo Horizonte.
Videos on the reactivated TikTok account are now labeled as AI generated. However, these current labels do not confirm what Martins saw before his journey. The operator claimed they did not know if other users had reused the character’s content on separate accounts.
Impact on Victims and Public Perception
Martins arrived in Belo Horizonte without the woman and approached a local radio station for help. Staff explained the persona was AI-generated. Lacking funds to return, he received food, support, and a bus ticket to Augustinópolis from the city’s migrant assistance service before returning to relatives in Imperatriz.
One outlet reported that Martins struggled with loneliness following his mother’s death. Malwarebytes Labs noted that social media encourages parasocial relationships, where viewers feel connected to strangers. AI personas complicate this by making the connection entirely fictional.
What should you do?
Police stated they could not establish whether a crime had occurred at that stage. This incident follows a June report of a 72-year-old man traveling 4,000 kilometers from Boa Vista to Belo Horizonte for a similar job and relationship offer from a farm woman.
In a Face value report, Malwarebytes Labs found that 88% of adults surveyed said it is becoming harder to distinguish genuinely human content from artificial content. The operator complained in a video that people blame the AI character despite repeated disclosures about its nature.
What to do and how to stay safe: Malwarebytes Labs
- Verify the identity of online contacts through video calls or real-time interaction before sending money or traveling.
- Check if social media profiles carry clear AI-generated labels and review account history for inconsistencies in posting dates.
- Be skeptical of offers involving funding for travel or relocation from individuals you have only interacted with online.
- Report suspicious interactions to platform moderators and local authorities if financial loss or deception occurs.
Step-by-step guide: Prompt Injection Warning Signs: How to Spot AI Manipulation
General security guidance from the Threat Times newsroom. It is not confirmed advice from the organisations named in this story.
Frequently asked questions
Did the AI influencer admit to scamming the man?
The account operator denied any scam, stating the character was for engagement and sales and never spoke to anyone privately.
What did police say about the incident?
Police said they could not establish at that stage whether a crime had occurred.
Has this happened to others?
In June, a 72-year-old man traveled 4,000 km to Belo Horizonte for a similar offer from a farm woman.
