Lady heartbroken after being sc@mmed by a Lagos-Based crook who used AI to pose as rockstar Jon Bon Jovi
A Louisiana woman, Leslie Pickett, has lost over $10,000 to a romance sc@m after believing she was in a relationship with American rock star Jon Bon Jovi, whom she had admired since she was 14.
Pickett joined Instagram through her daughter and commented on Bon Jovi’s verified account in late 2024. Five minutes later, an unverified account posing as the singer contacted her, claiming he wanted to connect privately with fans.
For months, they exchanged messages daily about music and personal interests. The impostor declared his love, sent flowers and shared convincing AI-generated videos, including clips in which he mentioned her name and performed actions she requested. He also claimed he and his wife had secretly filed for divorce.
After seven months, he began asking for money, claiming he could arrange a meet-and-greet after tickets for a Nashville performance sold out. He instructed Pickett to pay through cryptocurrency, assuring her it was safer. The requests started at $100 or $150 but increased as he claimed payments had failed, directing her to use PayPal, Venmo, Cash App and Bitcoin.
In July 2025, the impostor claimed he was travelling to Louisiana to meet her. However, a supposed security clearance call ended abruptly, and he later demanded more Bitcoin to arrange another meeting. Pickett became suspicious and contacted investigative journalist Mariana van Zeller.
For the National Geographic documentary Super Scam Me, van Zeller and a former hacker traced the suspected scammer’s IP address to Lagos, Nigeria. They also used Google Earth to identify a house they believed was connected to the operation.
Pickett said she lost over $10,000 and fell into debt so severe that her home faced foreclosure. The experience also left her struggling to trust people.
She is now rebuilding her finances while warning others about romance sc@ms. Van Zeller noted that sc@mmers often spend months building emotional connections before requesting money, while AI technology makes fake celebrity videos increasingly convincing.
