Italian PM Posts Provocative Lingerie Photo Described as 'Crafted by a Bot'

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is throwing down the gauntlet after a scandalous lingerie photo of her surfaced, allegedly crafted by an AI bot. “It’s improved me quite a bit,” she quipped, but the underlying message is serious.

Meloni took to X to expose the fake image, warning her followers about the perils of deepfakes. “Several fake photos of me are circulating, generated with artificial intelligence and passed off as real by some zealous opponent,” she stated in Italian, making it clear that this isn’t just about her—it’s about a broader issue.

“I must admit that whoever created them has also improved me quite a bit,” she added, but quickly pivoted to the real danger: “Deepfakes are a dangerous tool because they can deceive, manipulate, and strike anyone. I can defend myself. Many others cannot.”

Her comments come at a time when British police are grappling with an unprecedented surge in AI-driven dating scams. Romance fraudsters are leveraging bots to create fake profiles on dating apps, luring unsuspecting victims into parting with their hard-earned cash.

According to figures from the City of London Police, criminals scammed a staggering £102 million from British victims last year—a 15% increase from 2024. The actual number is likely much higher, as many victims remain silent due to shame or embarrassment.

Those aged 55 to 74 accounted for nearly half of the total losses, with women suffering the most significant financial hits—£40 million of the defrauded funds in 2025. Yet, men reported more incidents overall.

In one jaw-dropping case, a victim was coerced into handing over more than £1 million. Last year alone saw 10,784 reports of romance fraud—up a third from 2024.

Scammers operating from centers in the Philippines and West Africa are using deepfake technology to convince victims during video calls that they are genuine. They harvest images, videos, and audio from public social media profiles to create fake digital personas that can be overlaid onto their own during calls.

Typically, these criminals initiate contact on dating apps like Hinge, Tinder, or Grindr before coaxing victims into private messaging. Once trust is established, they often encourage victims to share explicit photos or join live video calls. The scammers then record this compromising material or download the victim's images.

Once they have what they need, the threats come: “Pay up or I’ll ruin your life by exposing this to your family or employer.” The stakes are high, and Meloni’s warning couldn’t be more timely.