Deepfake Scams Exploit MrBeast and BBC Presenters on Social Media

In a troubling development, deepfake technology, powered by artificial intelligence (AI), has been used to create fraudulent videos featuring prominent personalities like MrBeast, the world’s biggest YouTuber, as well as BBC presenters Matthew Amroliwala and Sally Bundock. Deepfakes manipulate the faces and bodies of individuals to create convincing but entirely fabricated videos. These deceptive videos have been exploited to scam unsuspecting individuals online, highlighting the growing concern surrounding the misuse of deepfake technology.

One of these deepfake videos surfaced on TikTok, falsely portraying MrBeast as offering new iPhones for a mere $2 (£1.65). Meanwhile, deepfake likenesses of BBC journalists Matthew Amroliwala and Sally Bundock were used to promote a known financial scam. The fraudulent video on Facebook depicted the journalists supposedly “introducing” Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X (formerly Twitter), who was purportedly endorsing a dubious investment opportunity. Similar fake videos have previously claimed to show Elon Musk giving away money and cryptocurrency. These videos were flagged as containing false information and subjected to fact-checking by independent fact-checkers like FullFact. Facebook’s parent company, Meta, responded by removing the content, stating that they do not tolerate such content on their platforms.

TikTok also acted swiftly, removing the fake MrBeast ad within a few hours of its upload, and the responsible account was taken down for violating TikTok’s policies. TikTok explicitly prohibits “synthetic media” that features the likeness (visual or audio) of real people.

For Sally Bundock, a BBC News presenter, the experience of being the subject of a deepfake video was a startling one. The deepfake video depicted her in the BBC News studio, presenting a fake “breaking business news” story, effectively impersonating her. The video was disturbingly convincing, both visually and audibly. However, the deepfake video was created to deceive viewers into believing in a fraudulent investment opportunity. It claimed that British users of a new project associated with Elon Musk could achieve substantial returns on their investments, to the extent that they could quit their jobs. The scheme appeared too good to be true, ultimately revealing itself as a scam.

Deepfakes have become a growing concern as AI systems have become more powerful and sophisticated. Detecting these fraudulent videos can be challenging, but often, an offer that seems too good to be true is a red flag. In the case of MrBeast, the YouTuber has a history of giving away valuable items, making the fake video appear plausible. However, careful observers can spot inconsistencies that suggest something is amiss.

In the deepfake videos featuring BBC presenters, noticeable errors and clues point to their inauthenticity. For example, in Sally Bundock’s video, the presenter mispronounces “fifteen” as “fife-teen” and mispronounces “project” as “pro-ject.” The video also incorrectly states that “more than $3 billion ‘were’ invested in the new project,” rather than using the singular “was invested.” These verbal errors, like spelling errors in scam emails, can serve as useful indicators of fakery.

Furthermore, the scammers attempted to make the videos appear legitimate by adding MrBeast’s name in the bottom-left corner and using a blue verification mark similar to those seen on many social media platforms. However, TikTok’s videos automatically display the actual uploader’s name beneath the TikTok logo, revealing the lack of verification for the account that posted the video.

The deepfake issue becomes more complicated due to variations in laws across different countries. Legal experts suggest that defamation laws or data protection laws could be used in cases where a person’s voice or image is used without their permission for malicious purposes. However, there is a concern that overly broad legislation could stifle legitimate creative use of AI and deepfake technology in industries like film and special effects.

In this era of increasingly convincing deepfakes, the responsibility falls on both individuals and platforms to be vigilant and cautious, understanding that offers that sound too good to be true are often just that – too good to be true.