The rising advancements in Artificial Technology (AI) have provided newer, more sophisticated ways for cybercriminals to scam people. Deepfakes are one of their widely used weapons. It refers to creating manipulated images, videos, and audio with AI for fraudulent activities. They are so hyper-realistic that it becomes challenging for most people to identify them. While there have been several deepfake cases, the following 12 were the most scandalous.
Tom Hanks Dental Plan Promotion
In 2023, one of Tom Hank’s videos went viral, where he was promoting a dental plan to his fans. As the video garnered more views, it later turned out to be a deepfake of the Forrest Gump actor. The actor later issued a public notice on his Instagram handle stating that he has no relation with the said product. A deepfake was created without his consent and used to promote a product fraudulently. This incident stirred a debate, raising the demand for stringent laws to protect people.
Biden Robocall
Political figures aren’t immune from deepfakes and Biden’s robocall event proves this. A political consultant was found guilty of making fake robocalls mimicking Joe Biden’s voice. The robocalls urged voters to note vote in the upcoming state’s Democratic primary. It was the first reported case of deepfake involvement in American politics, so it created a massive controversy. The involved political consultant Steve Kramer and voice service provider Lingo Telecom are facing legal consequences after this event.
Taylor Swift Offering Free Dutch Ovens
Taylor Swift was one of the recently targeted celebrities by deepfake identity thefts. Cybercriminals created a synthetic version of her voice and stitched it with footage of her AI-version standing beside Le Creuset Dutch Ovens. Her deepfake was falsely promoting free cookware sets to her fans. They were required to pay the $9.96 shipping fee via their debit/credit card. Some customers were charged repeatedly, resulting in hefty monetary losses.
Elon Musk’s Cryptocurrency Investment Opportunities
Elon Musk’s AI version is the most used for promoting fraudulent cryptocurrency opportunities. Scammers often use Elon Musk’s deepfake to promote radical investment opportunities featuring rapid returns. In one such case, an 82-year-old retiree lost more than $690,000 to digital scammers. The person fell for a fabricated video where cybercriminals edited Elon’s original interview using AI tools. In many such cases, people have lost their money to Elon’s deepfake videos, causing immense financial distress.
Pope in the Puffer Jacket
The internet went crazy when pictures of Pope Francis appeared in an ankle-length, luxurious, belted white puffer coat. As soon as the image was published, it went viral, garnering millions of views. Many people believed Pope Francis was wearing this jacket with a silver bejeweled crucifix until it was later clarified that it was a deepfake generated using Midjourney.
Mr. Beast Giving $2 iPhones
In October 2023, a popular YouTuber Mr.Beast took to X (now Twitter) to call out fake adverts using his AI-version. Cybercriminals used AI tools to create fake videos wherein Mr.Beast was offering iPhone 15 Pro for just $2. The deepfake was being promoted as the world’s largest iPhone 15 giveaway, asking viewers to click on the given link. Since Mr.Beast is known for his massive giveaways, it became easier to believe.
CFO Fiasco
While deepfake scams are rising worldwide, one recent event from Hong Kong caught the world’s attention. Fraudsters targeted a multinational firm in Hong Kong by posing as the company’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) using AI. Cybercriminals created a hyper-realistic deepfake and duped a finance worker into attending a virtual meeting. He was then tricked into transferring $25 million to fraudsters from the company’s account, causing massive financial losses to the company.
Racist AI Deepfake
One of the most viral and scandalous deepfakes of 2024 is the Pikesville High School principal’s AI audio clip. AI was used to doctor the school’s audio clip wherein he was spotted making racist, anti-Semitic, and offensive remarks. The audio targeted black kids and Jewish people in the community. The clip soon went viral after uploading, disturbing the societal harmony in Baltimore.
Election Candidate Boast’s Rigging Election
A deepfake was widely circulated before crucial elections in Slovakia, resulting in a candidate losing the election. The doctored audio featured a pro-NATO political candidate boasting how he’d rigged the election. Another recording was leaked on the internet wherein the same leader was heard talking about raising beer costs. These clips went viral online and raised concerns about AI being used to interfere in the country’s presidential elections.
Kamala Harris Fake Ad Campaign
Elon Musk was under fire after sharing a deepfake of Kamala Harris right before the presidential elections in the USA. The doctored video showed Kamala saying words she never spoke in her political ad campaigns. However, people were quick to believe the AI-generated video because it was posted from Elon’s original X (previously Twitter) handle. It sparked massive controversy and was seen as a way of directly influencing voters.
Taylor Swift’s Pornographic Deepfakes
While Taylor Swift has previously been the target of deepfakes, the one depicting her in a sexually explicit way has sparked the most controversy. In January 2024, doctored pornographic pictures of Taylor Swift were circulated online. The pictures quickly went viral and drew massive backlash from her fans, the Screen Actors Guild committee, etc. It even called for a need to criminalize deepfake porn.
Ukrainian President’s Message of Surrender
Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian President, was ridiculed by the people of his country after his deepfake went viral. The AI-generated video showed Zelensky standing behind a podium and telling Ukranians to drop their weapons. The video was viewed by millions of people and was acknowledged as ‘childish provocation’ by the president. It highlighted the growing trend of spreading misinformation and creating chaos in countries.
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