Celebrity Endorsements in Scams

In numerous cases, politicians or celebrities falsely appear to endorse a product or platform on social media. Victims are subsequently guided through a series of requests that ultimately ask for monetary transfers. Recent incidents highlighted by the AI Incident Database, found on Meta, illustrate this:

• A Thai news anchor and the CEO of the Miss Universe Organization promoting an online investment promising rapid, high returns.




• Greek Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis depicted endorsing fraudulent “high-yield” investment schemes.




• Australian billionaire Andrew Forrest shown supporting a fraudulent crypto platform called Quantum AI.

Spotting the Fraudulent Nature of These Videos

The key to identifying these scams is what the AI Incident Database terms “industrialized plausibility.” These videos blend low-cost realism with widespread distribution and weak verification methods. Here are some ways social media users can differentiate between deepfakes and genuine content:

• Examine the edges and background of the focal point in the video for unnatural blurring or warping.




• Look for mismatched or unaligned lighting and shadows. Ensure that the lighting on the person matches with the background or room’s environment.




• Listen carefully to the audio component, paying attention to pacing, tone, as well as any odd sounds or unnatural cuts or edits.

If there is even a slight doubt about something being a deepfake or AI-generated, search for verified sources independently. For investment opportunity scams, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Scammers often rely on a sense of urgency to drive victims into acting immediately; therefore, take the time to slow down, do your research, and think carefully before taking action.