Tens of thousands of Instagram users have seemingly been fooled by an account allegedly belonging to Canadian fugitive Ryan Wedding. Instead, an analysis by CBC News reveals that the page is filled with content produced by artificial intelligence.
In recent days, a user using the handle bossryanw began sharing images of luxury motorcycles, a helicopter, a snowboarding medal, and even a miniature statue of Wedding on a public Instagram profile. The account quickly amassed over 44,000 followers after being featured on a Toronto crime blog and shared widely online.
Commenters on the Instagram account expressed disbelief at the content, with one user noting, “This account is a perfect example of how easily people are fooled by AI.” CBC News investigation found several indications suggesting that an impostor has been posting images created using AI, indicating that the lavish lifestyle depicted in the photos does not belong to Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder and one of the world’s most-wanted fugitives.
Ryan Wedding, a fugitive hailing from Thunder Bay, Ontario, has evaded capture for over a decade on charges related to cocaine trafficking. Initially sought by the RCMP in 2015, Wedding was added to the FBI’s most-wanted list last year, facing allegations of orchestrating numerous murders as the leader of a transnational criminal organization.
The Instagram account featured images like an orange motorcycle allegedly signed by MotoGP champion Marc Márquez with a message “para mi amigo RW,” which Márquez’s representative later denied any association with. The account also posted a photo of a golden medal draped over a Daffy Duck sculpture, referencing a property seizure in Mexico linked to Wedding.
Furthermore, various images shared on the account, including a collection of MotoGP motorcycles and a man near a helicopter, displayed signs of AI manipulation. The account operator, who claims to be Wedding, expressed interest in an in-person interview but declined to provide evidence of their identity.
The user behind the bossryanw account communicated with CBC over the encrypted messaging app Threema but did not substantiate any link to Wedding. The account, originating from Bolivia, has changed usernames multiple times since its creation in January 2021.
Experts warn that the proliferation of AI-generated content on social media poses a concerning trend, with the Ryan Wedding account being a prominent example. The FBI and Meta, the parent company of Instagram, did not provide comments on the matter.
Mexican authorities recently seized 62 high-end motorcycles linked to Wedding in co-ordinated raids, estimated to be worth $40 million US. The FBI has released only a few verified photos of Wedding since 2024, with the most recent showing him in Mexico with a distinctive lion tattoo on his chest.
