A journey of more than 2,000 kilometers, the expectation of finding a companion and the promise of a new life on a farm ended in frustration for bricklayer Edimar Rocha Martins, 49, this week.
Last Sunday (11), he left Imperatriz (MA) and went to Belo Horizonte looking for a woman he believed to be real. Upon arriving in the capital of Minas Gerais, however, he discovered that the supposed suitor was, in fact, a character created by artificial intelligence (AI).
The virtual woman introduced herself on social media as "Jéssica Oliveira" and "Jéssica Fazendeira". On TikTok alone, the profile accumulated more than 300 thousand followers.
With a realistic appearance and voice, the avatar appeared in rural scenes and videos in which he said he was looking for a partner, promising to support his future partner on a farm.
Edimar claims that he had private conversations with the profile and that he felt deceived. The person responsible for the page, however, denied any direct contact with him and said that the character was created with the aim of gaining engagement for sales.
Understand the case from the following points:
Who is the bricklayer who traveled more than 2 thousand km?
Who is 'Jéssica Fazendeira'?
What does the character promise in the videos?
Were there private conversations?
How did Edimar discover that the woman didn’t exist?
Is the case considered a crime?
How to identify a person created by AI?
What precautions should you take before trusting someone online?
Edimar Rocha Martins is 49 years old and is from Tocantins. He told g1 that he met "Jéssica" after videos of the character began to appear on social media. According to the bricklayer, from then on, the two started "talking".
Edimar was in Imperatriz, Maranhão, when he decided to travel to Belo Horizonte. He left the city on Friday (9) and arrived in the capital of Minas Gerais on Sunday, after traveling more than 2 thousand kilometers by bus.
"I came in search of happiness, right?! I'm 49 years old, I'm divorced", he said after reporting his disappointment at not being able to find his wife.
According to Edimar, as there had never been a request for money, he was not suspicious of the situation. On the contrary, he told g1 that the supposed suitor offered financial help and even talked about paying for his ticket.
In an interview with TV Mirante, a Globo affiliate in Maranhão, the bricklayer also stated that he sold all the goods he had to make the trip.
"I sold all my things, I finished everything. So we get discouraged, who doesn't get discouraged?", lamented Edimar.
"Jéssica Oliveira", also presented as "Jéssica Fazendeira", is not a real person. She is a character created by artificial intelligence and appeared in videos with a human appearance and voice, generally set on rural properties.
On social media, the avatar said he was looking for a man to share his life in the countryside with. The profile accumulated more than 300 thousand followers on TikTok and also had content on Kwai.
The page was also used to promote products sold online. The person responsible for the profile later stated that the character's objective was to generate engagement for sales and, after the repercussions of the case, he deleted the videos.
In public videos, "Jéssica" addressed mainly the male audience and talked about money, relationships and life in the countryside.
In one of the publications, he said he wanted a man to go live on a farm, in the interior of Minas Gerais, to have a "life like a king". In others, he stated that he intended to play his future partner and that he would not need to work.
"I live alone here on my farm and I miss having company to talk to and share life with. Someone who wants to join me, you know?", she stated in one of the posts. "I want to support you. I want you to stop working so you can just relax", he also said.
Edimar states that he had private conversations with the profile of "Jéssica" and that he received proposals related to the trip. According to him, the character offered to pay the ticket, pick him up and provide an address.
On the other hand, the person responsible for the profile denies that these conversations took place. In a video published with the virtual character itself, the page stated that it never had direct contact with the bricklayer and said that the content was intended to generate engagement for sales.
Edimar arrived in Belo Horizonte without having the address of the woman he intended to meet. Once in the city, he started showing photos of her and asking people on the streets if anyone knew her. He also sought help from a radio station.
According to the bricklayer, it was after these failed attempts that he realized that "Jéssica" did not exist and that she had been created artificially.
"I've already been around with several photos, showing them and asking if anyone knew this person and everyone said no. So, I felt deceived", he told g1.
Afterwards, Edimar received assistance from the Migrant Reception and Assistance Unit of Belo Horizonte City Hall. He had access to food, bath and guidance on risks involving scams on social media. After evaluation by the technical team, he received a ticket to Augustinópolis (TO), his hometown.
So far, it is not possible to say that the case is a crime.
In a statement, the Minas Gerais Civil Police reported that they found no incident records related to the incident. According to the institution, the creation of a fictional character by artificial intelligence, in itself, is not a crime.
The situation can change in nature when technology is used to deceive someone with the aim of obtaining an illicit advantage. In these cases, according to PCMG, the conduct may constitute embezzlement or electronic fraud.
The corporation stated, however, that it is not possible to say that this occurred in the episode involving Edimar without investigating the circumstances and identifying those responsible.
According to specialist in artificial intelligence, marketing and Information Technology management Samuel Costa heard by g1, the advancement of tools has made the creation of virtual characters accessible even to people without advanced technological knowledge.
Some signs that may appear in videos produced by AI are:
unnatural movements;
strange facial expressions;
failures in synchronization between voice and lip movement;
visual inconsistencies throughout the video.
But there is an important caveat: these flaws are becoming less and less evident as technology improves. Therefore, identifying artificial content just by its appearance may not be enough.
Costa recommends checking mainly the origin of the video, who controls the profile, whether the account is trustworthy and whether there are other sources that confirm that information.
The Civil Police recommends confirming the identity of people you know online before making trips or making financial transfers.
If fraud is suspected, the advice is to save messages, receipts and other digital evidence and file a police report.
