Edimar Rocha Martins deepfake video — Oct 2026
A Brazilian man traveled 2,000 km to meet an AI-generated influencer after being misled by videos that simulated personal conversations, leaving him stranded
- Reported date
- Oct 20, 2026
- Target
- Edimar Rocha Martins
The exact incident date was not established. This entry is dated by its source report.
The Incident
Edimar Rocha Martins, a 49-year-old bricklayer from Brazil, sold his belongings and traveled 2,000 km by bus to meet an online influencer named Jéssica. Martins believed he had been communicating with the persona since 2020 and that she had offered to fund his trip so he could live on her farm. Upon arriving in Belo Horizonte, he discovered the woman did not exist and was left without funds, eventually requiring assistance from a local migrant service to return home.
What happened
The incident highlights the risks of parasocial relationships formed with AI-generated personas. The influencer account, which boasted over 300,000 followers, featured videos of a character claiming to be a farmer. Martins reported that the persona offered to pay for his travel and host him on her farm. However, the account's operator denied these claims, stating the character was created in 2025 for affiliate sales and engagement, and asserted that they never engaged in private messages with followers.
The videos utilized by the account simulated personal conversations, creating the impression that the character was speaking directly to viewers. While the operator claimed the account was transparent about its AI nature, the labels currently visible on the reactivated account do not confirm what content was available to Martins prior to his journey. This case is part of a broader trend in the region, where other individuals have similarly traveled long distances to Belo Horizonte after viewing content featuring the same AI-generated character. Local authorities have noted that they could not establish whether a crime had occurred at the time of reporting.