A Louisiana woman who believed she was in a romantic relationship with rock star Jon Bon Jovi lost more than $10,000 and nearly lost her home.
Unfortunately, the man she thought she was dating wasn’t actually Jon Bon Jovi. Instead, a scammer had used artificial intelligence to impersonate the legendary musician.
Leslie Pickett, a Bon Jovi fan since she was 14, says she spent about 10 months communicating with the impostor, and giving him money, before finally discovering the truth.
The Fake Jon Bon Jovi Used AI Videos To Convince Her He Was Real
According to the International Business Times, the scam began in late 2024 when Pickett commented on Jon Bon Jovi’s verified Instagram account.
Within minutes, she received a message from another account pretending to be the singer. The impostor claimed he used the private Instagram account to communicate with fans without his management knowing.
Over the next few months, he sent romantic messages, flowers and personalized videos that made it look like Jon Bon Jovi was speaking directly to her.
The videos were so convincing that Pickett even tested him. She asked him to pull his right ear, cross his eyes and stick out his tongue. Within five minutes, she received a video showing Jon Bon Jovi doing exactly that.
“He gave very thoughtful answers to my questions, so I genuinely thought it was him,” Leslie Pickett told Fox News. “And I wasn’t too knowledgeable about those check marks. I had doubts, but hey, a girl can dream.”
That’s how convincing the AI-generated videos had become.
The Fake Jon Bon Jovi Scammer Was Eventually Traced To Nigeria
According to The Daily Hodl, the scammer waited about seven months before asking for money.
He initially claimed Pickett needed to pay for a private meet-and-greet through Bon Jovi’s management. Payments started at $100 or $150, but the impostor repeatedly claimed they hadn’t gone through. He eventually convinced Pickett to send money through Venmo, PayPal, Cash App and cryptocurrency.
In July 2025, he claimed he was visiting Louisiana and sent photographs from a hotel she recognized. The light fixtures, furniture, carpet, utensils and even the napkin rings all matched what was in the hotel.
However, when a supposed security-clearance video call abruptly ended, he demanded even more Bitcoin to set up another meeting. That’s when Pickett finally realized something was wrong.
National Geographic’s documentary Super Scam Me, hosted by investigative journalist Mariana van Zeller, subsequently worked with an ethical hacker who traced the scammer’s internet connection to Lagos, Nigeria.
By then, Pickett had lost more than $10,000 and was facing foreclosure on her home. She says the experience has even ruined her enjoyment of Jon Bon Jovi’s music.
“I know it wasn’t him that scammed me, but I can’t listen to any of that anymore,” she told investigators.
Pickett now hopes that sharing her experience will prevent others from becoming victims of similar scams.