AI-Powered Celebrity Deepfakes: The Rising Threat of Online Scams

These Are the Top 10 Celebrities Used for Online Scams

With the rise of AI and deepfake technology, Americans of all ages have fallen for online scams promoted by images of popular celebrities. It turns out scammers have some go-to celebs to use to ensnare their victims. Computer security company McAfee just released its list of the top celebrities used for online impersonation scams in 2024, and it includes some well-known actors with decades in the industry as well as younger stars on their way up in Hollywood. "With cybercriminals using advanced AI tools to create more convincing scams, the risks are growing, and celebrity names are the perfect bait for curious consumers," McAfee head of threat research Abhishek Karnik told The Hollywood Reporter. "That's why people need to stay vigilant and think twice before clicking. While AI-generated content isn't always harmful, it's becoming harder to tell what's real and what's fake." Topping the list is acclaimed actress Scarlett Johansson. Coincidentally, the Black Widow star spoke out against the AI use of her voice earlier this year when OpenAI seemingly used her voice for their virtual assistant technology despite Johansson herself turning down an offer to license her voice for the project. The likenesses of other A-list celebrities like Taylor Swift, Sydney Sweeney, Johnny Depp, and Blake Lively have been used to swindle people online. The most common use has been for false celebrity endorsements and giveaway and crypto scams. Former president Donald Trump even used a Taylor Swift deepfake to imply the pop star endorsed him in the 2024 presidential race. Read up on the top 10 below and beware if you get any messages from any of them.

Scarlett Johansson, Kylie Jenner and Taylor Swift Top List of Celebrities Used for AI Scams

From selling crypto to miracle cures, deepfake celebrity ads are everywhere. You're probably seen the ridiculous videos on social media. There's a celebrityâ€"maybe it's Sydney Sweeney or Tom Hanksâ€"talking directly to the camera about some product, but something seems a bit off. Maybe it's the fact that their mouth doesn't seem to be moving perfectly in sync with their words or maybe it's that Hanks is trying to sell some sketchy-looking medication you've never heard of. Well, you're right to be skeptical. Thanks to artificial intelligence technology, celebrities are being used left and right in AI deepfake videos and images for all kinds of scams, hawking products they've never actually endorsed. And cybersecurity company McAfee has a new list rounding up the most commonly used celebrity likenesses of the past year. Scarlett Johnasson tops the list, which is particularly interesting given her advocacy against non-consensual AI content. Johnasson said she was approached by OpenAI to provide a voice for their robotic assistant tech, but the actress declined. OpenAI went ahead and made a sound-alike voice for one of the company's demos but seems to have scrapped the voice after Johansson threatened a lawsuit. Other big names on the list include Kylie Jenner, Taylor Swift, and Tom Hanks, among others. Hanks wrote a note on Instagram back in August warning that AI fakes were using his likeness to sell medications. "There are multiple ads over the internet falsely using my name, likeness, and voice promoting miracle cures and wonder drugs," Hanks wrote. "These ads have been created without my consent, fraudulently and through AI. I have nothing to do with these posts or the products and treatments, or the spokespeople touting these cures." Hanks went on to explain that he has type-2 diabetes and said, "I ONLY work with my board-certified doctor regarding my treatment," ending his message with an all-caps warning: "DO NOT BE FOOLED. DO NOT BE SWINDLED. DO NOT LOSE YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY." Because ultimately, that's what it's all about. Making money by fraudulently piggybacking off the likeness of well-known people. The list from McAfee, with the company's explanations: The one celebrity who's not on the list but we at Gizmodo see most often? That would be Elon Musk. We even obtained consumer complaints filed with the FTC earlier this year about crypto scams using Musk's face. They're everywhere. The folks at McAfee warn that as AI gets better, it will be harder and harder to tell what is a deepfake and what is the real thing. So people will just need to remain vigilant and try to apply some critical thinking skills whenever a supposed celebrity endorsement pops into their social media feed. “In a time when celebrity news is part of everyday conversation and accessible with the click of a button, people often prioritize convenience over online safety, clicking on suspicious links promising celebrity content or related goods," Abhishek Karnik, McAfee’s Head of Threat Research, said in a statement published online. "But if it sounds too good to be true, it’s worth a second look. With cybercriminals using advanced AI tools to create more convincing scams, the risks are growing, and celebrity names are the perfect bait for curious consumers. That’s why people need to stay vigilant and think twice before clicking."

Sydney Sweeney, Scarlett Johansson Among Top 10 Celebrities Used for Online Scams

'The Rings of Power' Creators on That Big Season 2 Finale Reveal and Sauron's Mistake Scarlett Johansson, Taylor Swift and Johnny Depp are among the celebrities whose identities are most often exploited for online scams. Computer security company McAfee released its annual list (below) of the top 10 celebrity names with search results that tend to get compromised by hackers trying to rip off unsuspecting fans. The actors' likenesses are being used without permission on fraudulent schemes that peddle movie or song downloads, deals on celebrity-backed products, cryptocurrency investments or tickets to high-demand concerts. The scammers also sometimes use convincing-looking deepfake videos of the actors to get a fan's bank account information or to install malware on their devices that could result in identity theft. "With cybercriminals using advanced AI tools to create more convincing scams, the risks are growing, and celebrity names are the perfect bait for curious consumers," said Abhishek Karnik, McAfee's head of threat research, whose company sells protection software and a deepfake detector. "That's why people need to stay vigilant and think twice before clicking. While AI-generated content isn't always harmful, it's becoming harder to tell what's real and what's fake." Here is the list of the celebrities whose names and likenesses were most frequently fabricated this year for online scams -- all without their permission. Also included is the type of fraud the names were used for. The celebrities are more diverse than one might expect, ranging from older male actors to younger female stars to singers with plenty of teenage fans. 1. Scarlett Johansson: The Black Widow star's name and likeness were used for advertisements and endorsements. Johansson has also spoken out against non-consensual AI-generated content, having threatened legal action against OpenAI for allegedly copying and imitating her voice. 2. Kylie Jenner: The reality star and influencer's name and likeness were used for social media giveaway scams and fake Kylie Cosmetics products and websites. 3. Taylor Swift: The mega-star singer's name and likeness were used for celebrity endorsements, ticket scams and product giveaway scams, as well as for disinformation (Donald Trump sharing an AI fake suggesting Swift had endorsed him). 4. Anya Taylor-Joy: The Furiosa star's name and likeness have been used for a giveaway scam, and her Twitter/X account was hacked to spread fake Queen's Gambit sequel news. 5. Tom Hanks: The Oscar winner's name and likeness have been used to promote "miracle cures and wonder drugs." 6. Sabrina Carpenter: The "Espresso" singer's name and likeness have been used in fake ticketing scams and to advertise an app for creating sexually explicit images. 10. Addison Rae: The "Diet Pepsi" singer's likeness has been used without permission for fake endorsements, giveaways and crypto scams.

If You See Any of These Celebs Selling Something Unusual, You've Spotted an AI Scam

Quick LinksWho Tops the McAfee Celebrity Hacker Hotlist? How to Spot AI Celebrity Deepfakes and Avoid the Scams Celebrities are constantly attempting to sell us new products, houses, cars, headphones... you name it, and a famous face is out there selling it. This is why when a scam involving these famous faces launches, distinguishing between what's real and not becomes more like a movie than we'd care to enjoy. Who Tops the McAfee Celebrity Hacker Hotlist? That's right; it's the moment you've all been waiting for. The Oscars have been and gone -- it's time to see which celeb is impersonated most in scams. McAfee's Celebrity Hacker Hotlist provides in-depth insight into the famous faces fixing to part you from your hard-earned cash. It's an interesting list, honestly, with a surprising name at the top (the rest are more expected): Scarlett Johansson. The Black Widow, Lucy, and Jojo Rabbit star is constantly used in advertisements, endorsements, and more, all as a deepfake or other AI-generated image. Johansson's topping the list is doubly interesting, as she has frequently spoken out against the improper use of AI involving the likeness of other people. When ChatGPT launched its voice feature, Johansson claimed its "Sky" voice sounded eerily similar to her own, and the AI company pulled the voice from its lineup. The full celebrity scam list is as follows: Scarlett Johansson: Fake endorsements, adverts Kylie Jenner: Social media giveaways, endorsements, fake Kylie Cosmetics products Taylor Swift: Fake tickets for Eras Tour, product giveaway scams, political endorsements Anya Taylor-Joy: Giveaway scams, misinformation Tom Hanks: Name and likeness used to promote "miracle cures and wonder drugs" Sabrina Carpenter: Fake ticketing scams, fake advertising for adult-apps Sydney Sweeney: Crypto scams Blake Lively: Weigh loss gummies scam, other advertising scams Johnny Depp: Giveaway, crypto, and fundraising scams Addison Rae: Fake endorsements, giveaways, and crypto scams It's an A-List, no doubt, but for all the wrong reasons. How to Spot AI Celebrity Deepfakes and Avoid the Scams I know I said celebs will sell everything, but that's not really true. Oftentimes, if what the alleged advert is selling seems outlandish or too good to be true, it is. Whether it's for fake giveaways, cryptocurrency scams, tickets to high-demand concerts, free downloads, or disinformation campaigns, these stars are unwilling participants in the cybercrime ecosystem. AI has made figuring out the difference between real and fake incredibly difficult for everyone. But there are a few steps you can take to validate any advert, endorsement, or giveaway before rushing on in: Scruitinize: Social media is the perfect breeding ground for scams like this. Thousands of fake accounts and bots can be used to promote fake content. Take a moment to figure out if the account you're looking at is real. Validate: You'll need to check out the source of any claims. Try running a search outside the social media platform to validate the endorsement or advert. It only takes a second, and it'll save you heaps of pain down the road. Deepfakes: Try to spot any unnatural movement, blinking, voice patterns, and so on. As said above, it's getting difficult to do this, but it's still worth checking. Be cautious before engaging with any apparent celebrity advert or other similar offer. Scammers know the allure of a celeb giveaway or other similar offer is a tempting lure because they've used it countless times before.