Group used AI to forge online fundraisers with images of sick children A 26-year-old man was arrested in Dourados (MS) this Tuesday morning (14), during an operation by the Civil Police of Rio Grande do Sul investigating a criminal group suspected of creating false donation campaigns on the internet using images of children with cancer. The arrest was made through the Specialized Police Station for the Repression of Border Crimes (DEFRON). The suspect's name was not released by police. According to delegate João Vitor Heredia, from the Police Station for the Repression of Electronic Patrimonial Crimes (DRCPE) in Rio Grande do Sul, the suspect arrested in Dourados is being investigated for being part of the organization's technological core. Until the last update of this report, 16 people had been arrested in cities in Mato Grosso do Sul, Pernambuco, Paraná, São Paulo and the state of Rio Grande do Sul. ? Click here to follow the g1 MS channel on WhatsApp "He allegedly worked on creating fake websites, administering domains and servers and producing videos manipulated with artificial intelligence and deepfake," said the delegate. ? What is deepfake? Deepfake is a technique that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to alter videos, photos or audio, creating content that appears real. The delegate also informed that the person being investigated would be linked to an account shared by several members of the group and would have received amounts from the organization's main financial core. Operation Sophia carries out 19 preventive arrest warrants and 17 search and seizure warrants. Court orders are complied with in Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná, São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul and Pernambuco. Suspect forged crowdfunding to carry out scams on social media. PCRS/Reproduction Digital Nucleus According to the police, the suspects had specific functions. They created and hosted fake websites, registered domains and configured servers. They also produced payment pages and Pix QR Codes, as well as fraudulent videos, audios and advertisements. According to the investigation, the group used artificial intelligence, deepfake and voice cloning tools to make the scams more convincing. The suspects still purchased and managed accounts on Facebook and Instagram, promoted false advertisements and used resources to hide their identities and make tracking difficult. During the investigation, police identified tools used to manipulate audio and videos, synchronize lip movements, create avatars, clone voices, remove metadata and hide fraudulent pages. The investigation also found evidence that the group was looking for new victims in vulnerable situations, mainly children with serious illnesses. According to the police, this indicates that the scheme was continuous and operated in an organized manner. How the scam worked The investigation began after the mother of a girl undergoing cancer treatment, named Sophia, reported that photos and videos of her daughter were being used without authorization. The material appeared in sponsored ads on Facebook and Instagram to raise money, but the family never received the funds. According to the delegate, the group used artificial intelligence, deepfake and voice cloning to modify real campaigns and give the ads the appearance of authenticity. The publications were made by fake pages with names such as "Clube de Donadores" and "Unidos pelo Amor". When clicking on the ads, victims were directed to websites that imitated fundraising platforms, such as Vakinha. On these pages, a Pix code was generated, and the money was transferred to accounts of shell companies controlled by the group. Only in the false campaign that used the image of the girl who gave the operation its name, the police identified the embezzlement of R$294,500. The investigation also identified a company that functioned as the organization's financial core and handled more than R$1.7 million during the period investigated. The Civil Police advises that the population confirm the veracity of fundraising campaigns before making any donations. The recommendation is to check the information directly with the responsible family or institution and check if the name of the Pix recipient matches the campaign beneficiary. Watch videos from Mato Grosso do Sul: