Celebrity deepfakes: Scammers exploit famous faces for fraud
Actors, politicians, singers, and other publicly known individuals often become unwitting "donors" of their image for fraudulent campaigns organized by scammers. Using technology such as deepfake, they create fabricated videos and posts where they impersonate celebrities to persuade people to invest.
The issue of using celebrities' images for online scams is currently being studied by companies like McAfee, which publishes an annual report on this topic. From it, we learn, among other things, which individuals most frequently appear in fabricated materials. This knowledge can encourage recipients to view some advertisements with skepticism. Even if a much-loved figure appears in a photo, the content of the post might be fabricated.
According to the latest report from McAfee, the celebrities most commonly used in fake online materials are:
- Scarlett Johansson
- Kylie Jenner
- Taylor Swift
- Anya Taylor-Joy
- Tom Hanks
- Sabrina Carpenter
- Sydney Sweeney
- Blake Lively
- Johnny Depp
- Addison Rae
As always in such situations, we remind you not to automatically believe everything you see online. Especially regarding investment offers that promise easy profits and feature a famous person's face, it's crucial to assume the advertisement might be fabricated. If you genuinely wish to pursue an investment, you should thoroughly research and ensure it is a credible opportunity, making financial decisions thoughtfully, without being swayed by others' opinions.
