General Hospital star Steve Burton’s deepfake used in bankrupting an L.A. woman | Credit: x/thefansofgh
When Abigail Ruvalcaba started receiving messages from who she thought was General Hospital star Steve Burton, she believed her life was about to change. The 56-year-old actor, known for his role as Jason Morgan since 1991, was suddenly confessing love, making promises of a future together, and even sending her personalised videos. Only problem? It was not him.
Hospital star Steve Burton’s deepfake used in bankrupting an L.A. woman | Credit: x/thefansofgh
Love, lies, and a soap star deepfake
According to her daughter, Vivian, the messages came from scammers who had used artificial intelligence to create convincing deepfakes of Burton. They reached Abigail on Facebook Messenger before moving the conversation to WhatsApp, where the manipulation escalated.
The price of a fantasy
Ruvalcaba told reporters she genuinely believed she was in love and that she and “Burton” would start a new life together. When the fake Burton claimed he needed financial help after a fire destroyed his home, she sent more than $81,000. But the scam spiralled further.
In a devastating turn, she sold her family’s condo—handing over the $350,000 proceeds to the fraudsters. Vivian explained that her mother, who has been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, fully believed she was helping the actor she loved.
Now, the family says she is drowning in debt, facing the loss of her current home, and preparing for bankruptcy.
“The beach house is ours, baby”
One of the messages shared with local media revealed just how manipulative the scammers were. In a text, the fake Burton allegedly wrote: “The beach house is something we will love, baby.”
Hospital star Steve Burton’s deepfake used in bankrupting an L.A. woman | Credit: x/thefansofgh
The cruel fantasy shattered Abigail’s financial security. Her daughter revealed they are now pursuing legal action in an attempt to reverse the condo sale, but the property has already been flipped to a new owner.
Even the real Steve Burton was shocked
KABC showed Burton one of the deepfake videos sent to Abigail. The actor admitted the fake voice sounded exactly like his own. Burton has previously warned fans via social media about impersonators, urging them not to fall victim to such schemes.
Hospital star Steve Burton’s deepfake used in bankrupting an L.A. woman | Credit: x/thefansofgh
But for Abigail, the damage is already done. What started as a soap opera-style romance ended in financial ruin, heartbreak, and a cautionary tale about how AI scams are becoming disturbingly convincing.