Man Accused of Using AI to Try to Scam N.Y. Police Department
What to know
- A 51-year-old man was arrested after Cicero police said he tried to file a false damage claim using an AI‑altered photo that still had a Meta watermark.
- Police found no damage to the man’s vehicle and reviewed camera footage showing the patrol car he blamed had no ice buildup.
- The man admitted to the phony claim and was charged with falsely reporting an incident.
CICERO, NY—A Central New York man has been arrested after police say he attempted to scam the police using a photo altered with artificial intelligence.
The man, Brent W. Hubbard, 51, of Mallory, wanted the Cicero Police Department to reimburse him for damage to his car he claimed was caused by ice falling from a police car on Route 481, according to Cicero Police Chief Steve Rotunno.
He submitted a photo to back up his claim, but police quickly noticed it was a fake, the chief said.
The photo had a Meta AI watermark on it, Rotunno said.
Officers went to Hubbard’s home and could not find damage to his car, Rotunno said. Police reviewed police camera footage that showed the police car didn’t have a buildup of ice on it that day, he said.
Hubbard has since admitted the report was falsified, Rotunno said. Hubbard was charged with falsely reporting an incident.
The investigation was launched on Friday after Hubbard emailed his claim to the department, Rotunno said.
“This incident was a huge waste of time and taxpayer money,” Rotunno said Wednesday. Multiple officers had to spend time investigating the case, which Rotunno emphasized was time that would be better spent helping those in need.
Hubbard was arrested on Monday. He is due back in Town of Cicero Court on an appearance ticket on Tuesday.
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