AI Scammers: How New 2026 Laws Protect You From Deepfake Fraud

You don’t have to be General Hospital fans to know that true crime AI scammers trick folks out of their money.

But when Michelle Lundstrom, the wife of Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) shared how bad it is in 2026, some folks raised an interesting point in the comments. What’s happening to prevent or safeguard people from this sort of thing? Read on to find out more.

The Post That Started The Conversation

Over the last year or so, Steve Burton openly discussed the fact that people are being scammed out of their money. Mostly, the elderly end up believing they’re in a relationship with him. And many of them send the fake “Steve” money. 

This week, his wife, Michelle Lundstrom, spoke about it on Instagram. Sadly, the true crime trend seems never-ending.

She related how a woman at a function believed Steve already knew her as they had been communicating for “two years.”

AI Scammers Target Many Gullible People

Apparently, the woman ended up scammed out of $40K. According to Michelle Lundstrom, the problem becomes much worse, with no sign of anything stopping. As an example, she shared her own stolen content that ended up being AI manipulated.

Naturally, GH fans felt concerned for Steve Burton and his victims. But others looked beyond that particular ABC actor’s situation. In the comments section, some General Hospital followers noted that scammers were around long before AI.

However, AI scammers become prolific because it’s easier to make gullible folks believe they chat with famous people. And some of them wondered why there aren’t laws to try and stop the use of AI. So, we checked it out. Is anything being done at all?

The Laws Enacted Or In Progress

Already, there are some new federal laws in place. The TAKE IT DOWN Act in the USA was signed into law in May last year. In that instance, the law makes it a crime to use deepfakes to harass or trick people.

Even better, by May of this year, social media sites have no option but to remove them within 48 hours of them being reported. So, it helps a lot if General Hospital and true crime followers report anything suspicious. By the middle of next month, you should be able to take down fakes by simply clicking a button.

‘Accountability’ & ‘NO FAKES’ Acts

In the meantime, the AI Fraud Accountability Act remains in progress. The aim of that is to stop people who use “digital clones” to steal money. Introduced in March, it’s new and might take time, but it’s specifically aimed at the issues that Michelle Lundstrom and Steve Burton’s fans currently face. Plus, it helps with CSAM abuse.

Proposed legislation known as the NO FAKES Act currently moves through the legislative process. Also new, set for the 2025-2026 session, the bill enjoys strong backing. However, it’s complex because lawmakers face difficulty with protecting free expression. For example, it could affect legal satire production. At the same time, they need to safeguard the rights of people who see their likeness used by fraudsters.

What Happens Across The Pond?

Scammers using AI fakery are global. So, it might interest you to know that in the UK, new laws criminalize the creation of deepfakes without consent, with penalties of up to two years in prison.

You might have noticed that on some platforms, you have to acknowledge that your content is AI-assisted. And the EU leaned heavily into getting that started.

The European Union’s AI Act came into effect back in February last year. Notably, AI systems that pose a high level of risk were addressed. That relates to compulsory labeling of all AI-generated video content. By August this year, the law should have rolled out completely.

While it might never stop scammers or the use of AI visuals, at least it seems that something is being done to try and control the crazy world of scammers. What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below, and remember to come back here often for all your true crime news and updates.