Friday, September 4, 2026
AI Literacy Project, Fjellhøy take aim at modern scams
The AI Literacy Project held a special event on Sunday, Aug. 30, at Trinity Presbyterian Church in San Carlos, Calif., with Cecilie Fjellhøy, an international fraud expert. The two-hour presentation featured opening comments by Adya Tewari and Saanvi Chawla, co-founders of the AI Literacy Project and a keynote presentation by Fjellhøy, who turned her personal experience with romance fraud into a platform to educate and empower similarly impacted individuals.
Widely known for her Netflix appearances on The Tinder Swindler and Love Con Revenge, Fjellhøy captivated the audience with advice on how to recognize a variety of modern scams. Her 45-minute slide presentation, titled “Deception by Design,” was followed by a fireside chat with Tewari and Chawla, open audience Q & A and informal meet and greet with participants and guests.
“We’ve previously presented at schools and senior centers,” Tewari said. “This event was our biggest one yet because it appealed to all ages and backgrounds.”
End victim blaming
Drawing from her own experience, Fjellhøy noted that romance scams are rampant but the true scope is unknown because many victims feel too ashamed to report these crimes.
Scammers are crafty and believable, she added, and anyone can be susceptible to their charms, even financially responsible people with excellent credit scores. In many cases, when loans and credit lines are opened in a victim’s name, law enforcement may consider the incidents civil matters, making them difficult to investigate or prosecute.
Several audience members shared their own experiences, including one whose aunt is currently involved in a suspicious online relationship.
Future roadmap
Tewari and Chawla, who are high school seniors, thanked Fjellhøy for her insights and active role as an advisor for the AI Literacy Project, which continues to expand, with additional events and locations on its near-term roadmap.
“We know we’ll be graduating and possibly leaving California,” Tewari said. “And we have trained our new leaders, Gavin and Cameron Liu, who helped organize today’s event and will carry on this important work.”
Tewari also mentioned that the team is exploring potential satellite locations in Boston, Southern California and the United Kingdom as the AI Literacy Project looks to extend its reach and build the next generation of leaders.
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