This Aussie’s good deeds went viral…then AI came for his reputation
- Replies 0
Aussie lawn hero turns heads with his incredible acts of kindness—but now scammers are using his face to empty pockets.
His feel-good videos have racked up millions of views, but a wave of fake accounts are exploiting his name and twisting his message.
The AI voiceovers may sound convincing—but they’re telling dangerous lies.
Nathan Stafford, a Sydney-based gardener known for helping Aussies in need by tidying overgrown yards at no cost, has become the target of a disturbing new scam.
Using artificial intelligence, scammers have begun reposting his lawn transformation videos on social media—with fake American voiceovers and made-up stories—asking viewers to send money.
Some clips falsely claim he’s working for overwhelmed single mums or people with cancer, turning his generous work into an online grift.
‘It’s very disappointing because I help a lot of single mothers and I don’t find that entertaining at all,’ Mr Stafford told radio host Ben Fordham.
‘To me it’s making a mockery out of that situation. I even saw one last night about a person supposedly having leukemia. I lost a good mate that had leukemia.’
‘I don’t appreciate any of that or find it funny at all.
‘They’re just trying to empty people’s pockets.’
Mr Stafford, who has been running his mowing business since 2010 and now boasts a following of more than 10 million, said the AI scam has damaged his brand and caused distress for his supporters.
The impersonators use his name and videos to request donations—sometimes gathering over 200,000 followers themselves.
‘It’s really damaging, mate,’ he said.
‘Some of these fake accounts have amassed over 200,000 followers and reach out to my followers, pretending to be me, and request money.’
He added that there are ‘hundreds and hundreds’ of these accounts, and he’s spent almost two years trying to get them taken down.
Much of Mr Stafford’s content focuses on vulnerable Aussies—those who can’t manage their gardens due to illness, age or personal hardship.
‘I love doing it, it’s a good way to also help people out in the community and spread a bit of positivity on my platforms,’ he said.
He also donates a portion of his merchandise profits to the Heart Centre for Children, reinforcing his genuine intent to give back.
But he said the scammers’ AI-generated voiceovers have crossed serious lines.
‘My profiles are based on helping people, honesty and all that kind of stuff,’ he said.
‘But (these AI scammers) are going out there and the stories that they’re putting on these videos are horrendous. It’s so far from the truth.’
‘I don’t appreciate that because that’s not what my channel is about.’
Mr Stafford called for stronger action from social media companies, urging them to act quickly against impersonation and AI-driven fraud.
‘Someone needs to step in here and speak with me. It’s not just me. There’s hundreds of other people that are going through this. It’s out of control,’ he said.
Mr Stafford, TikTok and YouTube have been contacted for comment.
Scammers are getting smarter—and crueler—by using AI to hijack the reputations of good people.
But in some cases, they’re not just copying faces and videos—they’re mimicking voices too.
If you thought the lawn care scam was shocking, this next story shows just how personal the deception can get.
Read more: She Lost $15,000 to Scammers—Don't Fall for This Simple Trick!
What does it say about our digital world when generosity becomes a target for deception?
His feel-good videos have racked up millions of views, but a wave of fake accounts are exploiting his name and twisting his message.
The AI voiceovers may sound convincing—but they’re telling dangerous lies.
Nathan Stafford, a Sydney-based gardener known for helping Aussies in need by tidying overgrown yards at no cost, has become the target of a disturbing new scam.
Using artificial intelligence, scammers have begun reposting his lawn transformation videos on social media—with fake American voiceovers and made-up stories—asking viewers to send money.
Some clips falsely claim he’s working for overwhelmed single mums or people with cancer, turning his generous work into an online grift.
Scammers use AI to hijack gardener's videos. Image source: Instagram/nathanslawnsandgardens
‘It’s very disappointing because I help a lot of single mothers and I don’t find that entertaining at all,’ Mr Stafford told radio host Ben Fordham.
‘To me it’s making a mockery out of that situation. I even saw one last night about a person supposedly having leukemia. I lost a good mate that had leukemia.’
‘I don’t appreciate any of that or find it funny at all.
‘They’re just trying to empty people’s pockets.’
Mr Stafford, who has been running his mowing business since 2010 and now boasts a following of more than 10 million, said the AI scam has damaged his brand and caused distress for his supporters.
The impersonators use his name and videos to request donations—sometimes gathering over 200,000 followers themselves.
‘It’s really damaging, mate,’ he said.
‘Some of these fake accounts have amassed over 200,000 followers and reach out to my followers, pretending to be me, and request money.’
He added that there are ‘hundreds and hundreds’ of these accounts, and he’s spent almost two years trying to get them taken down.
Much of Mr Stafford’s content focuses on vulnerable Aussies—those who can’t manage their gardens due to illness, age or personal hardship.
‘I love doing it, it’s a good way to also help people out in the community and spread a bit of positivity on my platforms,’ he said.
He also donates a portion of his merchandise profits to the Heart Centre for Children, reinforcing his genuine intent to give back.
But he said the scammers’ AI-generated voiceovers have crossed serious lines.
‘My profiles are based on helping people, honesty and all that kind of stuff,’ he said.
‘But (these AI scammers) are going out there and the stories that they’re putting on these videos are horrendous. It’s so far from the truth.’
‘I don’t appreciate that because that’s not what my channel is about.’
Mr Stafford called for stronger action from social media companies, urging them to act quickly against impersonation and AI-driven fraud.
‘Someone needs to step in here and speak with me. It’s not just me. There’s hundreds of other people that are going through this. It’s out of control,’ he said.
Mr Stafford, TikTok and YouTube have been contacted for comment.
Scammers are getting smarter—and crueler—by using AI to hijack the reputations of good people.
But in some cases, they’re not just copying faces and videos—they’re mimicking voices too.
If you thought the lawn care scam was shocking, this next story shows just how personal the deception can get.
Read more: She Lost $15,000 to Scammers—Don't Fall for This Simple Trick!
What does it say about our digital world when generosity becomes a target for deception?
