A billion-dollar scam industry is getting exposed. The new Disney+ and Hulu special dives into the romance scam world and its growing use of AI. Emmy Award-winning journalist Mariana Van Zeller investigates how scammers manipulate victims and demand money.
Super Scam Me follows Van Zeller as she creates a fake dating profile and presents herself as a potential target. The one-hour National Geographic special premieres October 17 at 9 p.m. ET. Generative AI also plays a role in the investigation, as scammers use technology to make fake identities and messages harder to detect.
Romance scammers stole more than $1 billion from American victims in 2025, according to National Geographic. The scale of these losses shows why romance scams have become a major concern. Van Zeller’s investigation focuses on the tactics scammers use to build trust before targeting victims financially.
Check out the Super Scam Me trailer:
Mariana Van Zeller goes undercover to uncover how romance scams operate
Van Zeller builds an online persona and begins interacting with suspected scammers. One man claims to be a four-star general and becomes increasingly persistent during their conversations. He also sends her videos explaining how to use a Bitcoin ATM.
The investigation expands when Van Zeller teams up with a white-hat hacker. They work together to identify the scammer and determine his location. She then tries to take the investigation beyond online conversations and confront him in person.
The special also features victims who faced serious consequences after falling for romance scams. One woman believed she was in a relationship with Jon Bon Jovi. The deception eventually contributed to her losing her home through foreclosure.
Van Zeller has previously investigated romance scams for National Geographic. An episode of Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller examined scammers targeting Americans while operating between the United States and Ghana. Super Scam Me expands that reporting by putting Van Zeller inside the scam itself.
Originally reported on ComingSoon.
