How AI Celebrity Impersonation Scams Work And How To Avoid Them

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Scammers are using AI to impersonate celebrities to scam people out of their money. Here is a guide to how AI celebrity impersonation scams work.

AI Celebrity Impersonation Scams Explained

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) says that these scams often take the form of a post on social media or a website showing a celebrity supposedly endorsing some kind of product, like for weight loss or a health supplement. These ads can use AI-generated images and video to make it appear that the celebrity is backing the product.

For example, the bureau said a consumer reported that they saw an ad for “Oprah Winfrey’s keto gummy bear supplements.” The ad claimed that Oprah Winfrey backed the product and that by clicking a link, a bottle of the product would be sold for $49 with the second bottle coming for free.

But in reality, the consumer was charged $198. The consumer tried to cancel the order but it was not processed, and when they received the supplement it turned out the gummies had no official affiliation with Oprah Winfrey.

How To Avoid These Scams

Consumers can avoid these scams by becoming more aware of how “deepfake” videos and other AI tech can be used to generate fake endorsements.

The bureau advises that people should not jump to do business with companies who have no track record, and instead should try to buy products through reputable companies that they have already worked with before.