The world’s biggest YouTuber, MrBeast, and two BBC presenters have been used in deepfake videos to scam unsuspecting people online.
Deepfakes use artificial intelligence (AI) to make a video of someone by manipulating their face or body. The BBC writes* one such video appeared on TikTok this week, claiming to be MrBeast offering people new iPhones for $2.
Meanwhile, likenesses of BBC stars Matthew Amroliwala and Sally Bundock were used to promote a known scam. The video on Facebook showed the journalists “introducing” Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X, formerly Twitter, purportedly promoting an investment opportunity. Similar historical videos have claimed to show him giving away money and cryptocurrency.
Recent advancements in AI-powered tools have led to a resurgence in the use of Deepfakes, making it easier than ever to manipulate various forms of media, including images, videos, and sound. While initially employed mainly by nation states in military contexts, this technology has now become accessible to a wider audience with varying degrees of success. Approximately five years ago, it was relatively simple to detect fabricated videos and images, but over time, distinguishing them has become increasingly challenging, and they will only improve over time.
In the past, Deepfakes were primarily utilized to target high-profile individuals like politicians or large corporations. However, the landscape has shifted significantly, and AI can now generate realistic content using openly available data such as social media profiles, which can be exploited in blackmailing attempts against ordinary individuals or in advertising super cheap products that are often too good to be true. Therefore, it is vital to verify all information before sharing or interacting with videos online. It is also imperative to reinforce fundamental privacy practices, such as setting social media profiles to “private” and exercising caution when sharing content publicly.
*ESET does not bear any responsibility for the accuracy of this information.
ESET Ireland 