Mariana van Zeller
ON THE RECORD · 6 verbatim quotes · every quote source-verified
“At first approach, it started as a normal conversation,”
Mariana van Zeller · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-24
Van Zeller described the scammer's approach to Pickett as a gradual process.
“We're living in the era of scams,”
Mariana van Zeller · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-24
Van Zeller discussed the prevalence of scams while promoting the National Geographic documentary 'Super Scam Me.'
“At one point during this experiment, I was dating three George Clooneys, several Brad Pitts and a few Keanu Reeves. A few sent me videos that were very bad, but some were very good. I received one video from a fake George Clooney that you can watch in the documentary that looked very real. These weren't the old deep fake videos of the past that are full of distortions. These looked professional, believable.”
Mariana van Zeller · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-24
Van Zeller recounted her own undercover experience being targeted by scammers impersonating celebrities.
“Romance scams, in particular, are the fastest growing, and I believe, most devastating form of financial crime out there. One in seven Americans have reported losing money to romance scams. And so, I think now is the best time to raise awareness.”
Mariana van Zeller · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-24
Van Zeller described romance scams as the fastest growing form of financial crime.
“I had the chance of watching some of the videos that the fake Jon Bon Jovi sent Leslie,”
Mariana van Zeller · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-24
Van Zeller described reviewing AI-generated videos sent to Pickett by the fake Jon Bon Jovi.
“People think he approached her and said, ‘Hi, I’m Jon Bon Jovi. I’m madly in love with you. Send me money.’ That’s not the case. It took him seven months before he asked Leslie for money. Many people think, ‘How can you give money to a stranger?’ But for Leslie, and many other victims, this was at a point when he wasn’t a stranger. With some victims, they speak to scammers for months, even years.”
Mariana van Zeller · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-24
Van Zeller explained that the scammer spent seven months building trust before asking Pickett for money.