Tens of thousands of Instagram users appear to have been duped by an account claiming to be a member of Ryan’s Canadian wedding.
Instead, a CBC News analysis found the page to be filled with content created by artificial intelligence.
Last week, a user with the handle bossryanw He started posting pictures of high-end motorcycles, a helicopter, a ski medallion — even a miniature wedding statue — on his official Instagram profile.
As of Monday night, the account has attracted more than 44,000 followers Featured Shared widely on the Toronto crime blog and online. Separately, gossip outlet 6ixBuzz’s Post on social media platform X Highlighting the fake account generated at least 740,000 views.
One user commented on his Instagram account, “Male rage attracting the FBI is insane.” “This account is a perfect example of how easily people can be fooled by AI,” wrote another.
Indeed, a CBC News review of the account found several red flagsReviewing the simulation is posting images generated using AI.
In other words, no, the photos shared by the account do not depict the wedding — a former Olympic snowboarder for Team Canada who is now one of the world’s most wanted men — living in luxury while on the run.
For more than ten years, Thunder Bay, Ont. A native was arrested on a fugitive and cocaine trafficking charge. In the year
In one post, the Instagram account features what appears to be an orange motorcycle signed by former MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez, with the message “para mi amigo RW” or “to my friend RW”.
Marquez’s rep denied any involvement with the wedding.
Marquez’ manager Jimmy Martinez told CBC in an email that “the text and signature on the photo was not made by Marc, and the motorcycle he has is a replica. It’s the only original Marc keeps at home.”
Images show signs of AI intervention
other Photo A gold medallion draped over a sculpture of Daffy Duck, with the caption, “I managed to save.”
The caption appears to refer to property seized in December, including motorbikes and ski medals, in coordinated raids on Mexican homes linked to a wedding.
While there is an Argentinian artist creating this exact Daffy Duck sculpture, this particular image was either completely created by AI or heavily modified. The main clue is the illegible inscription on the medallion. AI image tools still struggle with rendering text, so garbled font is a sign of AI intervention.
Another example is a photo of a collection of MotoGP motorcycles, including Andrea Dovizioso’s Mission Winnow Ducati and Marquez’s Repsol Honda.
While the image may initially indicate a genuine collection, zooming in reveals that the text is no longer legible. In addition, certain mechanical parts are well rendered, both clear indicators of the AI generation.
Finally, it shows a man holding the door of what appears to be a Bell 407-series helicopter.
However, the rotor lacks important mechanical details, the doors are incorrectly modeled, the man’s shirt lacks realistic textures and the image contains many common elements in AI-generated content.
User says he is Ryan Wedding.
Last week, CBC News caught up with the man who runs the Instagram account. They invited him to chat on Tuthma, the encrypted messaging app that Serg used to communicate with colleagues.
“Yes bro,” the user wrote when asked if they were married to the 44-year-old.
“I have a desire to physically give somewhere in the world,” the user later added.
Bosryanw’s account attracted attention last week when a Reddit user posted a screenshot of his Instagram page for the Netflix show on the subreddit. In advancercos.
The Instagram account was set to “private” mode, which meant the user had to approve any new viewers. The screenshot is from there. removed By subreddit moderators.
The FBI recently seized dozens of high-end motorcycles worth $40 million from fugitive Ryan Surg in Canada. The FBI is investigating whether some of the motorcycles were used in professional racing.
According to official Instagram information, the account is based in Bolivia and has changed usernames seven times since its creation in January 2021.
The user who spoke to CBC on Threema declined to provide evidence of any connection to the wedding.
Mathieu Lavigne, head of analytics at McGill University’s Media Ecosystem Observatory, said it’s no surprise to see more users engaging with AI content.
“It plays on a popular true-crime curiosity, encourages speculation and appears to be powered by X’s suggestion system, which essentially provides engagement,” he said in an email.
He said the Instagram images highlight what he warns is a worrying trend.
“Most of the content Canadians see on social media is generated by AI.”
An FBI spokesman declined to comment on the account. Instagram’s parent company Meta did not respond to a request for comment.
The FBI says Wedding is living in Mexico under the protection of the deadly Sinaloa cartel.
Last month, Mexican authorities said they seized 62 high-ranking motorists in a coordinated raid on four wedding-related addresses in and around Mexico City. The FBI said the motorcycles — including authentic MotoGP machines used in professional racing — were valued at $40 million.
The FBI has released verified wedding photos dating back to 2024. The most recent photo, taken last summer in Mexico, shows the six-foot-three-inch former athlete lying in bed with a lion tattoo on his chest.
