COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KRHD) — A College Station resident is speaking out after discovering her old mugshot was used to create a completely fabricated viral story, highlighting the growing threat of AI-generated misinformation.
Watch the full story here:
Megan Davis, a college student, found herself at the center of a viral hoax when someone took her mugshot from a months-old public intoxication arrest and paired it with a fake story claiming she was a St. Louis waitress who attacked Olive Garden customers with breadsticks.
"If you Google my name, this will pop up, like the entire story, the mugshot, and I mean it's gonna forever be out there now," Davis said.
The fake post quickly gained traction on social media, reaching massive audiences within days.
"By the end of the day we had hit like 80,000. Within a couple days, millions had seen it, and it was shared like everywhere," Davis said.
The emotional impact was immediate and overwhelming for Davis, who had no control over how her image was being used.
"The first moment I saw it, I just like started crying and I called my friend and like, sent them the screenshot and was like, what do I do?" Davis said.
Despite the story being completely fabricated, Davis says many people continue to believe it's real.
"With that mugshot and that story being used, people still are choosing to believe it," Davis said.
Experts say these types of viral hoaxes are becoming increasingly common, fueled by social media platforms and artificial intelligence technology that can generate fake stories in seconds.
"Things that you may find online are an easy prey for individuals that are gonna basically manufacture reality and use artificial intelligence to do so," said Alex Del-Carmen, a criminologist at Tarleton State University.
Del-Carmen explains that victims of these digital hoaxes often have limited legal options, as current laws haven't kept pace with rapidly advancing technology.
"By the time it's said and done, you have the damage, you have the victim, but there's no bad guy that you can trace it back to," Del-Carmen said.
For Davis, the damage to her reputation may be permanent, but she hopes sharing her experience can help others understand how easily anyone can become a target.
"I don't understand how this even happened, but it can happen. It can happen to legit anybody," Davis said. "You have to fight, otherwise it's gonna eat you alive."
Davis plans to create content on social media to raise awareness about misinformation and help others who may face similar situations.
You can find Megan Davis on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
