'They used our pain to make money', says mother of child victim of fake crowdfunding in RS The mother of the child from Rio Grande do Sul who had images used in fake fundraising campaigns on the internet detailed the impact of the fraud on the family. Criminals used artificial intelligence (AI) to forge videos in which the girl, undergoing cancer treatment, asked for money to pay for medicine. In the fake ads, an AI-generated voice simulated the child making emotional appeals to donors. "The medicine that can help me is very expensive. And mom said that we have already sold everything. If you can help, any amount will give me another day with my mom. If you can help me, click on the little button below", said the fake message. ? Access the g1 RS channel on WhatsApp The victim's mother, Kelen Santos, reported that the discovery caused suffering. "It was horrible. We lost sleep, I cried a lot because it wasn't just a question of her image. But they were using our pain to take advantage, to make money and especially for the people who were donating," he said. READ MORE Group that used AI to forge online fundraisers with images of sick children is the target of an operation in five states; 16 were arrested According to delegate João Vitor Herédia, from the Electronic Patrimonial Crime Repression Station (DRCPE), the group used artificial intelligence tools, deepfake and voice cloning to alter true campaigns. The publications were made by fake pages with names such as "Clube de Donadores" and "Unidos pelo Amor". ? Deepfake is a technique that allows you to alter a video or photo with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). When clicking on the ads, victims were directed to websites that imitated legitimate fundraising platforms, such as Vakinha. On these pages, a Pix code was generated, and the money fell into the accounts of shell companies controlled by criminals. Kelen explained that donors sought out the family on social media to celebrate their contribution, without knowing that the money had been embezzled. "The person said 'I donated', happy that I had contributed to her treatment. And then we ended up saying to the person 'no, we don't have any funding, you ended up donating to a scam'." In the false campaign involving the girl's image alone, the police tracked R$294,500 embezzled. The investigation also identified a company that functioned as the group's financial core and that handled more than R$1.7 million during the period investigated. Despite the misuse of the image, the child targeted by the criminals had a legitimate fundraising campaign in the past. The real crowdfunding was closed by the family after the necessary amount was reached. The treatment was carried out and the girl's health improved. Police still do not know how many children with serious illnesses were used by the group to deceive donors across the country. The case is investigated by the Civil Police of Rio Grande do Sul, which launched an operation in five states on Tuesday (14). The suspects created fake pages to embezzle funds and must face charges of embezzlement, criminal organization and money laundering. On Tuesday, 16 people were arrested. The court orders were executed in Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná, São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul and Pernambuco. In addition to Passo Fundo, in RS, the operation takes place in the cities of Dourados (MS), Vitória de Santo Antão (PE), Francisco Beltrão and Cruzeiro do Iguaçu (PR), Piracicaba, São Paulo, São Vicente, Catanduva, Santana de Parnaíba and Sorocaba (SP). The Civil Police advises that the population check the veracity of fundraising campaigns before transferring amounts. The recommendation is to confirm the data directly with the family or institution and check if the name of the Pix recipient matches the real beneficiary. Group that used AI to forge online fundraisers with images of sick children is the target of an operation in five states Disclosure/Civil Police VIDEOS: Everything about RS