Deepfake Elon Musk Video Scams Take Off on TikTok, YouTube and Facebook
The billionaire is an especially popular figure for use in fraudulent videos.
Video ads manipulated by artificial intelligence seeming to show celebrities and online influencers are circulating widely on social media—especially ones starring Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X.
At least 50 such videos—called deepfakes—have been traced on social media sites including Facebook, YouTube and TikTok, NBC News reports. They feature convincing but fraudulent clips of well-known celebrities and Musk.
Deepfake technology has advanced quickly. In 2020, more than 85,000 harmful deepfake videos were estimated to be circulating online.
And in June, the FBI issued a warning that scammers were using deepfake technology to create fake pornographic content that they then used in an effort to extort or harass victims.
In one deepfake viewed by NBC, Musk extolls a new investment platform to TV hosts Gayle King, Tucker Carlson and Bill Maher. Deepfake Musk is seen and heard encouraging people to sign up for the platform. In reality, Musk has no connection to the platform. When reached by NBC, Musk said: “Ugh, I can’t believe you sent me Facebook links.”
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