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A 49-year-old Brazilian bricklayer, Edimar Rocha Martins, who was struggling to cope with his mother's death, embarked on a long journey to meet a woman he believed he had fallen in love with. But after more than 36 hours on a bus, he was left devastated: his dream woman was a virtual character created using artificial intelligence.

Martins had come to believe he could start a new life after watching videos featuring an attractive woman who called herself Jéssica Oliveira, also known as Jessica Fazendeira. In her posts, she showcased an idyllic rural lifestyle and invited men to move in with her on her farm.

Her social media profile had attracted more than 300,000 followers. The woman reportedly promised to cover Edimar's travel expenses and provide him with financial support once they were living together.

Following his mother's death, Martins had grown increasingly lonely and hoped a new relationship would help him through a difficult period in his life.

“I came in search of happiness,” he said, explaining that he had hoped to find companionship after going through a challenging time.

On October 9, Edimar set off from the city of Imperatriz in northern Brazil. Two days later, after traveling approximately 1,300 miles by road, he arrived in Belo Horizonte. His bus journey had lasted more than 36 hours.

Once in the unfamiliar city, he walked around showing people photographs of the woman he hoped to meet, asking whether anyone recognized her. But no one could identify her.

He soon discovered that the woman he had fallen for did not exist in real life: the videos featuring her had been generated using artificial intelligence.

“I had already walked around with several photos, showing them to people and asking if anyone knew this woman. Everyone said no, so I felt deceived,” the Brazilian said.

Martins admitted that loneliness had played a major role in convincing him that the online romance was genuine.

“Sometimes, loneliness at home ends up causing a lot of trouble in a person's life,” he said, explaining why he had decided to travel such a long distance.

According to Edimar, his virtual love interest had encouraged him to move in with her, promising they would live together on her farm.

“You're going to live here with me on the farm,” she had told him.

He took her words seriously and set off in pursuit of what he believed would be a happier future.

Martins spent his entire salary on the trip and was left with very little money after discovering the truth.

He received assistance from Belo Horizonte's municipal migrant support service, which provided him with food, access to a shower and advice on how to recognize online scams.

Authorities also helped him obtain a bus ticket. With their assistance, he was able to leave the city on October 13.

Although Martins initially considered returning to Imperatriz, he ultimately decided to travel to the state of Tocantins, where he was born.

The case was reportedly the third incident of its kind in Belo Horizonte in less than six months. Two other men had previously traveled to the city hoping to meet women they had encountered online, only to discover that they, too, were AI-generated characters.

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