YONKERS – The Yonkers Police Department and other local law enforcement joined agencies throughout the country in voicing concerns about a viral trend involving artificially generated images of a “homeless man.”
The trend involves using AI image generators to produce lifelike photos of a disheveled man seemingly standing at someone’s door or inside their home. In these videos, pranksters send the AI-created images to friends or family members, capturing their alarmed reactions — sometimes even prompting emergency calls — and then sharing the footage online for amusement and social media clout.
According to the Yonkers PD, these pranks have led to people calling 911 after “seeing” a man in their home, only for officers to find out it was a fake picture.
“It’s a real safety risk for officers who are responding and for the family members who are home if our officers get there before the prank is revealed and rush into the home to apprehend this ‘intruder’ that doesn’t exist,” the Yonkers PD wrote on its Facebook page. “It’s happened here in Yonkers a few times, so we’re trying to get ahead of this before someone gets hurt.”
The Yonkers PD suggested that if you receive a message or photo that seems alarming, pause before calling 911. Ask questions. Make sure your family members know you’re going to call 911, and to tell you then if it’s a prank, before it’s too late. Authorities also noted that these pranks can lead to a potentially dangerous situation that could have serious consequences.