Fake news and ‘deepfake’ videos of celebrities and public figures appearing to promote online investment platforms are increasing on social media.
‘Deepfakes’ are lifelike impersonations of real people, created by artificial intelligence (AI).
Scammers create ads and fake news articles to make you believe the celebrities actually use these scam investment platforms.
The platforms claim to use AI and other technologies like quantum computing to create high profits for investors.
Protect yourself
STOP – Don’t give personal information or act on investment advice from someone you have only met online. Don’t feel pressured to invest. If you have any doubts, stop communicating with them.
THINK – Ask yourself if you really know who you are communicating with? Scammers can use different profile pictures and lie about who they really are, especially online. Do an internet search of the person’s name, or use their photo in a reverse image search to check who they really are.
PROTECT – Act quickly if something feels wrong. Contact your bank immediately if you have invested money. Help others by reporting scams to Scamwatch.
If you’ve been affected
- If you have lost money, contact your bank or financial institution as soon as possible.
- Contact the platform you were scammed on and let them know about the scam.
- Help others by reporting scams to Scamwatch.
- Tell your friends and family: it helps to share your experience, they can support you and you can help protect them from scams.
