Ioan Gruffudd warns fans of 'distressing' scam involving fake 'explicit' images

Ioan Gruffudd has warned his fans about an online scam involving "explicit and disturbing" AI-generated images of him.

The Fantastic Four actor has revealed that one of his female fans fell victim to the "distressing" scam and was led to believe that they had been having an affair for more than a year.

"Something incredibly distressing and disturbing has been brought to my attention," he wrote on Instagram on Sunday. "A woman came to a convention I was recently attending and she was under the impression that she was in an extramarital relationship with me for over a year."

The 53-year-old continued, "She showed me hundreds of AI images and videos that someone claiming to be me had sent to her. The images were explicit and disturbing."

Gruffudd explained that the fan was "targeted" from a Facebook page for the TV show Elsbeth - in which he appeared in one episode - and the scammer sent her a mobile number and asked her to communicate via the messaging app Telegram.

"They began sending AI images and videos to 'prove' that it was me," he added.

The Welsh actor revealed he had informed the police of the scam, and warned his fans that he will only ever communicate with them via his official Instagram page.

"I will never give out my cell number to anyone that I don't personally know," he stated. "Please do not engage and never send money! I urge you to ignore and block all contact from anyone that claims to be me.

"Lastly, if you have been targeted by this person please report them and their number to the police for investigation. I have done the same."

Gruffudd, who is best known internationally for playing Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic in the 2000s Fantastic Four films, is married to Bianca Wallace, with whom he shares an infant daughter.

The Hornblower star also shares two teenage daughters with his ex-wife Alice Evans.