A series of deepfake videos featuring UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Prince William have been circulating on Meta platforms, promoting a fraudulent cryptocurrency platform known as “Immediate Edge.”
These AI-generated videos are being used in an elaborate scheme to mislead viewers into believing that these prominent figures are endorsing the scam. The intent is to exploit the trust associated with their public personas to lure people into investing in the platform, which falsely promises significant financial returns.
The deepfakes of Starmer include announcements in which he assures viewers that the cryptocurrency platform is legitimate and will bring life-changing financial rewards.
Kier Starmer
Simultaneously, the fake videos of Prince William feature him voicing support for Starmer’s supposed initiative, adding a fabricated royal endorsement to further deceive viewers. These videos give the appearance of official backing from both political and royal figures to legitimize the scam.
Researchers at Fenimore Harper uncovered this financial disinformation campaign, revealing that over 250 ads using the deepfake videos have been shared on platforms like Facebook and Instagram since the July surprise election in the UK.
These ads have reached nearly 891,834 people and led to victims collectively losing more than £21,053. The scale and reach of the campaign demonstrate the effectiveness of AI-generated content in duping unsuspecting individuals.
Although some of these ads have been removed, researchers warn that several are still active online. The persistence of these deepfake campaigns underscores the growing threat posed by AI-powered disinformation, which continues to evolve and pose challenges to public awareness and online safety.
They advise viewers to exercise caution when encountering such content, as these sophisticated scams are becoming more prevalent.
