Scammers used AI-generated Frank Ocean songs to steal 1000’s of {dollars}

The scammer, who used the deal with mourningassasin, advised Vice they employed somebody to make “round 9” Ocean songs utilizing “very high-quality vocal snippets” of the Thinkin Bout You singer’s voice. The consumer posted a clip from one of many pretend tracks to a leaked-music discussion board and claims to have rapidly satisfied its customers of its authenticity. “Immediately, I observed everybody began to imagine it,” mourningassasin stated. The truth that Ocean hasn’t launched a brand new album since 2016 and just lately teased an upcoming follow-up to Blond could have added to the eagerness to imagine the songs have been actual.

The scammer claims a number of individuals expressed curiosity in personal messages, providing to “pay huge cash for it.” They reportedly fetched $3,000 to $4,000 for every music in mid to late April. The consumer has since been banned from the leaked-music discussion board, which can be having an existential disaster as AI-generated music makes it simpler than ever to supply convincing knockoffs. “This example has put a significant dent in our server’s credibility, and can end in mistrust from any new and unverified vendor all through these communities,” stated the proprietor of a Discord server the place the pretend tracks gained traction.