India, Oct. 8 -- A new TikTok trend that uses artificial intelligence to stage fake encounters with "homeless intruders" has drawn widespread backlash and prompted police warnings in multiple countries.

The so-called "AI Homeless Man Prank" involves users generating AI images of a homeless man inside familiar settings - such as a bedroom, kitchen, or school - and sending them to family members or friends to provoke panic. The pranksters then share screenshots or videos of the recipients' frightened reactions online, framing them as harmless "jokes."

In several viral posts, people have fabricated entire texts and WhatsApp exchanges, pretending to negotiate with a supposed intruder. In one widely shared video on TikTok, a woman sends his ...