An 82-year-old grandmother lost nearly $200,000 after scammers used an AI-generated deepfake of a doctor to convince her to convert her retirement savings into cryptocurrency.

Maurine Meleck has a grandson Joshua, 28, who was diagnosed with autism at age two and a half years old. (Pix via Maurine Meleck / SWNS)

Maurine Meleck, a retired teacher, watched a video on Facebook which appeared to show Dr. Pierre Kory saying if he had access to her information, he would put it into a “special fund” that would increase in value.

The fake AI Dr. Kory – famed during the COVID-19 pandemic for advocating ineffective treatments like ivermectin – convinced her to move her retirement savings from the stock market into cryptocurrency.

Meleck hoped the investment would help secure future care for her autistic grandson and “significantly increase” her money, and trusted Dr. Kory due to his controversial views on the condition.

Police later determined she had been communicating online with an impostor and told her the money was unlikely to be recovered.

Now facing financial ruin, Meleck, from Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, is warning others about increasingly sophisticated AI-driven scams.

“I’ve really respected Dr. Kory for a long time, and it apparently was an AI, which I don’t understand that much about,” Meleck said.

“But it was him talking, and he was recommending a way to increase my money using crypto.”

Maurine Meleck has a grandson Joshua, 28, who was diagnosed with autism at age two and a half years old. (Pix via Maurine Meleck / SWNS)

The scam began in October 2024 when Meleck encountered what she believed was a video of the doctor she had long admired.

The deepfake technology was so convincing that she never questioned its authenticity.

“There was a video of him talking,” she said. “It was obviously AI, and I don’t know how that works, but I believed it, and I fell for it, and I have nobody to blame but myself.”

Meleck’s motivation for the investment was deeply personal.

She had dedicated her life to caring for her grandson Joshua, 28, who was diagnosed with autism at age two and a half years old.

She retired at 61 to provide full-time care after moving him into her home when he was six.

“My idea was to make more money so that I could put it away for Josh when I passed away,” she said.

The retiree, who holds degrees in history and political science, said she became suspicious when she tried to withdraw some of her investment.

The devastating realization came when police arrived to investigate her report on November 11, 2025.

“They said that in all likelihood, I would not get my money back,” Meleck said.

Maurine Meleck with her grandson Joshua, 28, who was diagnosed with autism at age two and a half years old. (Pix via Maurine Meleck / SWNS)

According to the police report, Meleck communicated via Facebook Messenger with an individual posing as Dr. Pierre Kory.

The individual advised her that she could increase her investment returns by using the so-called Quantum Financial System (QFS).

Following these communications, Meleck sent money by email and check for the purported investments.

Meleck was unable to identify to the police who ultimately received the funds.

“I was just devastated,” Meleck said.

“I lost 20 pounds. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep. I just was so angry with myself.”

Now living in a $1,650-per-month apartment that has nearly doubled in rent since she moved there 10 years ago, Meleck faces an uncertain financial future.

She has raised approximately $18,000 through a GoFundMe campaign to help secure Joshua’s care.

Maurine Meleck has a grandson Joshua, 28, who was diagnosed with autism at age two and a half years old. (Pix via Maurine Meleck / SWNS)

The grandmother said the IRS told her that resolving tax complications from the scam would take 585 days due to government closures.

Now, Meleck remains focused on her grandson’s needs.

“I still think about it, and I still feel angry with myself, but not as much as I used to,” she said.

“I mean, one has to move on, and I still have Josh here, and I still have to take care of him. So I have to move on. I have no choice.”

Her message to the scammers reflects both her pain and outrage.

“I do not understand people who steal money, particularly from those in great need and someone who has raised a person with autism,” she said.

“I just think that there are some horrible people in the world, and you, the scammer, are one of them. You’re atrocious. It’s a terrible thing you’ve done.”

www.gofundme.com/f/help-autism-grandma-who-was-scammed-out-of-her-life-savings