Tens of thousands of Instagram users have been tricked by an account pretending to be Canadian fugitive Ryan Wedding, according to a CBC News investigation. The account, under the username bossryanw, has been sharing content created by artificial intelligence, including images of luxury motorcycles, a helicopter, and a snowboarding medal.
The fake account gained over 44,000 followers after being featured on a Toronto crime blog and shared on social media platforms like X. Users have expressed disbelief at the account’s authenticity, with one commenting on the FBI involvement and another highlighting how easily people can be misled by AI-generated content.
A review by CBC News identified multiple signs indicating that the account is likely run by an imposter using AI to generate misleading images. Contrary to what the account portrays, Ryan Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder wanted for drug trafficking charges, is not living a lavish lifestyle on the run.
Wedding, originally from Thunder Bay, Ontario, has been evading authorities for over a decade, facing serious allegations including orchestrating multiple murders. The Instagram account posted photos of items supposedly linked to Wedding, such as a motorcycle signed by a world champion, but investigations revealed inconsistencies and AI-generated elements in the images.
Despite claims made on the account suggesting a connection to Wedding, a representative for the world champion denied any association. The images posted on the account, including a medal draped over a Daffy Duck sculpture and a collection of MotoGP motorcycles, displayed clear signs of AI manipulation, such as illegible text and poorly rendered mechanical parts.
In a bizarre turn of events, the user behind the bossryanw account communicated with CBC News, claiming to be Ryan Wedding and expressing interest in granting an in-person interview. However, no evidence linking the user to Wedding was provided, and the account has since been set to private mode after gaining attention on social media platforms.
Experts warn that the proliferation of AI-generated content on social media platforms like Instagram is a concerning trend. The FBI has refrained from commenting on the fake account, and Meta, the parent company of Instagram, has not responded to inquiries.
Recent reports suggest that Wedding is residing in Mexico under the protection of a criminal organization. Mexican authorities seized a significant number of high-end motorcycles linked to Wedding in raids late last year, with an estimated value of $40 million. The FBI disclosed only a few verified photos of Wedding, with the latest depicting him in Mexico with a distinct lion tattoo on his chest.