In a startling revelation, a foundation linked to Princess Leonor, the 20-year-old heir to Spain's throne, has issued a warning about a scam that is exploiting her likeness through AI-generated videos. These fraudulent clips are being circulated on fake profile pages across social media platforms, aimed at tricking users into handing over their money.
The deceitful posts on TikTok feature "Leonor" enticing viewers with promises of substantial financial rewards—potentially thousands of dollars—but only after they first pay a few hundred dollars as a so-called "fee." Unfortunately, once individuals have made this initial payment, the scammers often continue to solicit more funds before vanishing completely, leaving victims in financial distress.
A thorough investigation by El País in 2024 uncovered that all phone numbers linked to this scam originated from the Dominican Republic. Alarmingly, many of these videos garnered over a million views, highlighting the extensive reach and impact of this fraudulent scheme.
In response to this alarming situation, the website of the Princess of Asturias Foundation, which serves as an advocate for Leonor, clarified: "The foundation does not provide any financial assistance, project subsidies, lotteries, or any monetary operations aimed at benefiting individual citizens. Furthermore, the Princess of Asturias does not offer financial help through the foundation; any message or profile suggesting otherwise is false."
According to TikTok's guidelines, the platform prohibits accounts that engage in deceitful practices or manipulate users, including actions designed to impersonate others or mislead users into fraudulent interactions. Yet, as reported by El País, whenever they reached out to TikTok regarding the unauthorized use of the princess's identity—first noted in December 2024—their complaints were met with responses indicating that the content did not violate any regulations.
Princess Leonor is the eldest child of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. Since her father ascended to the throne after his predecessor’s abdication in 2014, she has held the full titles associated with being the heir—Princess of Asturias, Princess of Girona, Princess of Viana, Duchess of Montblanc, Countess of Cervera, and Lady of Balaguer.
Should she eventually take the crown, Leonor would make history as Spain’s first female monarch since Isabella II, who ruled from 1833 until her deposition in 1868, marking her as the only queen to have governed a unified Spain in her own right rather than through marriage.
Currently, Leonor is completing an international baccalaureate in Glamorgan, Wales, and is on track to finish her three-year military training this year, preparing her for her future responsibilities as commander-in-chief.
