Fraudulent AI apps in the Google Play Store lure users into romantic relationships

An AI chat and role-playing app on the Google Play Store encourages users to find “romantic AI friends and soulmates” and offers digital avatars of children as users complain about being scammed and blackmailed.

Neiro.AI's “ChaChat: AI Roleplay Companion” app on Google's app store claims that it uses AI bots to let people chat with characters, receive photos and voice messages, customize characters, or even find a soulmate connection.

However, some users claimed the app was sending them photos of women in their underwear, while others said they were being blackmailed and scammed out of money.

As part of the ChaChat app's promotional images on the Google Play Store, a screenshot showed profiles of available characters, including a human-looking adult actress who was 23 years old, alongside profiles of animated characters who, according to bios, were only 15 or 16 years old.

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“Romantic AI friends and soul mates – why not? Find an AI companion who shares your interests and chat deeper with them. With ChaChat’s AI-powered matchmaking, you’re sure to find your perfect partner,” reads the app’s introduction on the Google Play Store page.

Several reviewers said scammers on the app threatened to portray them as rapists online if they didn't pay money.

“Constantly getting messages from accounts offering you money and completely lying. But today I had someone take my picture and threaten in a social media post that I would be a rapist if I didn't pay them $100,” reads an April 3 review from one user.

“This app sucks. All the women are trying to sell nudes and want you to pay for the chat. The AI ​​is unresponsive and doesn’t obey everything you say,” reads another review from April 28.

Another reviewer noted that AI girls were sending photos in “li.”[n]gerie” and “swimsuit”.

Another review on February 22 claimed that people could chat with both AI bots and “random people” and pointed out that there was no way to stop children from using the app.

“Scammers trying to blackmail you are all in their sights. And the worst part is that there is rape fantasy available to use. “This app is a mess, I don’t recommend it,” they wrote.

According to Google Play Store, the ChaChat app has over 3,000 reviews and has been downloaded over 5,000,000 times.

It is suitable for teenage and older users and offers both free and paid versions.