Woman Warned for Targeting Funeral Director in Online Deepfake Vendetta

A Carlisle mother of two says anonymous deepfake images and online posts have devastated her family and business. Jill Glencross received wide online abuse after fabricated images circulated on social media platforms.

The campaign against a local funeral director

The harassment began in September when photographs of Jill’s car appeared on a Facebook page. A new post identified her as a funeral director and drew hundreds of hostile comments.

AI-generated pictures later emerged. One showed a crude scene involving a man dressed as a builder. Another showed Jill driving a hearse with a coffin labelled “My career.”

Spread and impact

The images and malicious captions were shared repeatedly across Carlisle Facebook groups. Anonymous hate mail followed the posts and amplified the false narrative.

Jill says the campaign aimed at targeting her reputation and business. She reported the posts to social media and to police.

Police investigation and outcome

Cumbria Police launched an inquiry after a report was made on January 13. Officers interviewed a Carlisle woman in her 60s on a voluntary basis.

The woman admitted sharing the AI images but was not accused of creating them. She received a conditional caution and carried out an out-of-court resolution.

Force response and review

The police said the suspect had no previous convictions, making an out-of-court disposal appropriate. Regular updates were provided to the victim during the probe.

A subsequent complaint about the outcome is now under review by the force’s Professional Standards Department.

Victim reaction and concerns

Ms Glencross, named Cumbria Woman of the Year in 2022 for community work, said the ordeal left her distressed. She described days when she felt unable to leave her home.

She has formally complained about the caution. Jill says the admission of wrongdoing should have led to prosecution.

Political response

Markus Campbell-Savours, MP for Penrith and Solway, condemned the abuse. He pledged to raise the case with ministers and Cumbria Constabulary.

The MP highlighted new laws introduced last month to tackle deepfake creators and sharers. He said he regretted the legislation did not come into force earlier in time to help his constituent.

In an apology letter, the cautioned woman said she shared posts without realising the consequences. She wrote she never intended to cause harm.

Filmogaz.com chose not to republish any of the fake images involved in this case.