Americans Lose Billions to Scams Featuring Celebs Like Taylor Swift, Oprah

Taylor Swift and Oprah Winfrey
(Photo credits: Beth Garrabrant/YouTube)

Taylor Swift and Oprah fans have fallen for celebrity deepfakes that have stolen billions. According to the Federal Trade Commission, social media scammers have stolen $2.7 billion from Americans by manipulating celebrity likenesses.

One scam claims Taylor Swift is giving away free Le Creuset products by using a synthetic, but believable voice and video of Swift speaking. The ad then asks users to put in their banking information to pay shipping fees before adding multiple charges. Another scam shows Luke Combs selling weight-loss gummies.

Oprah was also featured online as offering cookware sets to followers who gave their personal information. In today’s world, it may not be evident that it is a scam.

A phony Michael Saylor bitcoin giveaway cost one Complain.Biz customer $800. Apparently, MicroStrategy executive chairman Saylor removes 80 AI deepfake videos daily.

However, double-check their official and verified channels to authenticate even the most impressive celebrity deal videos.

Has a deepfake or AI-generated giveaway scammed you? Share your story.

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