Florida Woman Fakes Crime Using AI Generated Suspect Image

Artificial intelligence is becoming a part of daily life, but now it's also making its way into criminal activity, as demonstrated by a recent case in Florida.

The Falsified Crime Report

In St. Petersburg, police arrested 32-year-old Brooke Schinault after she allegedly faked a crime using an AI-generated image. On October 7, multiple officers responded to Schinault's home after she reported that an unknown man had forced his way inside. She even provided officers with a picture she claimed to have taken of the intruder. However, a search of the premises revealed no evidence of a crime.

Later, Schinault called the police again, this time escalating her claim to include sexual battery. When officers responded for a second time, the investigation took a sharp turn.

An AI-Generated Suspect

During the second visit, officers consulted a detective who immediately spotted something wrong with the evidence. "As soon as that detective saw the images, immediately, she recognized it as a trend that we were seeing online," said Ashley Limardo, a public information specialist for the St. Petersburg Police Department (SPPD). The man in the picture wasn't real; he was a digital creation generated by artificial intelligence.

The TikTok Trend Behind the Deception

Limardo explained that the image was likely created as part of a social media trend where people use AI to digitally insert a person into a photo of their home. "They'll take a picture of their home, submit it into the chat, and then they'll say, ‘can you put this person in it,’ and describe a male figure," she said. The resulting image is then often sent to friends or family as a prank.

"I guess it's meant to be funny, and I understand that people want to participate in trends," Limardo continued. "But it's one thing when you're participating in something, but then when you file it as a crime, knowing it's false information."

The Consequences of Crying Wolf

Investigators later discovered the AI-generated picture in a deleted folder on Schinault's device, noting it had been created a few days before she contacted the police. She is now facing two counts of false reporting of a crime.

Limardo emphasized the serious repercussions of such actions. "There are consequences," she stated. "This is the first time we've ever had to deal with something like this... that's a waste of resources because we have people tied up working on this scene when they could be working on something that is actually real and urgent."

A New Challenge for Law Enforcement

While this is the first AI-related case of its kind for the SPPD, Limardo acknowledged it likely won't be the last. The police department cannot release the specific image used in the false report as it remains part of an active investigation. Schinault has since bonded out of jail, and her next court date is scheduled for December 1.