Nigel Farage and Bank of England issue warnings as deepfake videos promote cryptocurrency scams on X

Farage says Reform has contacted X over fake AI video ads

Reform leader Nigel Farage has called on X to act over a series of fake, AI-generated adverts which depict him fighting Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey. The ads - showing the Reform leader and Bank of England governor in a number of fake scenarios, on a set resembling BBC Question Time - have been repeatedly shown to X users in the UK in recent days. Farage told reporters on Tuesday that Reform UK contacted X on Monday "at the highest level" - adding he hoped it would take action to remove the ads "incredibly quickly". The BBC has approached X for comment. It comes after the Bank of England also urged X users to report the ads, where seen. "Unfortunately, fake adverts impersonating the Bank of England and other central banks are on the rise," said Governor Andrew Bailey in a statement. "These scams are designed to criminally exploit the public, especially the vulnerable, when they are online." He urged the public to stay vigilant and "report these scams". "That way authorities can better root out digital deception like this and permanently remove the fraudsters responsible for what is a truly online scourge." The ads have repeatedly appeared to users on X in recent days, and show the two men arguing or fighting. Some of the promoted posts falsely depict Farage kicking, grabbing and lunging after Bailey on BBC Question Time, with some imagery also displaying bruising on their faces. "You may have seen some bizarre AI videos on this platform today," Farage wrote in a post on the platform on Monday evening. "Whilst Andrew Bailey and I have our disagreements, I would never take it that far!" Speaking to broadcasters during a visit to Grangemouth on Tuesday, he added that he did not know "whether to laugh or whether to be angry" about the fake ads. "The trouble is it's an AI fake but it looks real in every way, and people know that the governor and I have had our disagreements over things over the years," he said. Many of the adverts viewed by the BBC were posted by X user accounts with blue ticks - a symbol indicating a subscription to the platform's Premium tier. Platform owner Elon Musk previously touted changes to the verification badge as "the only realistic way to address advanced AI bot swarms taking over" after buying Twitter. False AI ads of Farage and Bailey seen by BBC News also often displayed a fake "play" button to suggest they were a video that could be played by clicking on it. By hovering over the links for some of the original posts used in the adverts, the BBC was able to identify that many of them would direct people to sites promoting AI cryptocurrency trading schemes or apps. In guidance on its website, the Bank of England says that neither it and its staff endorse or advertise any products. "We are aware of videos and adverts on social media platforms that appear to show senior Bank representatives endorsing investments or financial products. These are not genuine," it says. The Bank also says if you see such content you should not click on it or invest - instead report the post or advert on the platform, and then to Action Fraud. Sign up for our Tech Decoded newsletter to follow the world's top tech stories and trends. Outside the UK? Sign up here.

Bank of England warns on AI scams as deepfakes of Farage-Bailey fight spread

Governor urges public to report fake images posted on X of him and Reform UK leader in fake Question Time clash The Bank of England has warned the public against falling for AI-generated scams after deepfake videos of Nigel Farage fighting its governor spread online. Andrew Bailey, the head of the BoE, said AI-generated content related to central banks was spreading and urged people to be "vigilant". The governor spoke out after deepfake videos of the Reform UK leader and Bailey fighting on the set of BBC One's Question Time appeared on the social media platform X. The videos showed the pair being separated by police officers and even depict Farage holding a gun while he grapples with Bailey. Bailey urged the public to report the videos so they could be taken down. "Unfortunately, fake adverts impersonating the Bank of England and other central banks are on the rise," he said. "These scams are designed to criminally exploit the public, especially the vulnerable, when they are online. I would urge everyone to stay vigilant and report these scams. That way authorities can better root out digital deception like this and permanently remove the fraudsters responsible for what is a truly online scourge." Farage commented on the AI posts on the X platform on Monday, stating that he would never attack Bailey despite disagreeing with his stance on the economy. "You may have seen some bizarre AI videos on this platform today. Whilst Andrew Bailey and I have our disagreements, I would never take it that far!" Farage wrote. The Bank has raised concerns over the posts with Reform UK and with social media platforms, Bloomberg reported. Scams using AI to impersonate public figures have proliferated as the technology has become more and more capable, with AI video in particular becoming more proficient at depicting people realistically. Martin Lewis, the UK personal finance expert, has been a popular subject of fraudulent posts and has warned of a "wild west" of online scams powered by AI. The UK's online safety act contains provisions requiring tech platforms to tackle fraudulent advertising. However, those duties do not come into force until next year. X has been approached for comment. The platform, which is owned by Elon Musk, explicitly bars impersonation of individuals to "deceive others". X's sister company, xAI, was embroiled in controversy this year after its Grok tool was used by members of the public to declothe images of women and girls - an incident that is being investigated by the UK communications regulator, Ofcom.

Bank of England warns of scams after fake video shows brawl with Reform UK's Farage

LONDON, June 9 (Reuters) - The Bank of England warned the public to be alert for scams on Tuesday after a fake video and images circulated on social media purporting to show Governor Andrew Bailey brawling with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage on a TV set. Images available on Elon Musk's X platform on Tuesday linked through to web pages showing a pretend BBC News article which promoted a financial trading scheme which the article claimed could turn £250 ($335) into £1 million within 11 weeks. "Unfortunately, fake adverts impersonating the Bank of England and other central banks are on the rise. These scams are designed to criminally exploit the public, especially the vulnerable, when they are online," Bailey said in a statement issued by the central bank on Tuesday. In a post on X late on Monday, Farage -- whose populist party leads opinion polls -- said: "You may have seen some bizarre AI videos on this platform today. Whilst Andrew Bailey and I have our disagreements, I would never take it that far!" One image circulating on Tuesday showed Farage appearing to kick Bailey while he was on the ground, while another showed the politician pulling a gun on the BoE governor in a scene made to look like the set of BBC discussion show "Question Time". Other images showed Farage throwing a glass of water at Bailey or the pair jostling, with Farage being restrained by security guards or police. In real life, the disagreements between Farage and Bailey have been more civil, centring around the BoE's handling of bond sales, a lack of business people on its rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee and its work on climate change. ($1 = 0.7472 pounds) (Reporting by David Milliken and Muvija M, Editing by William Maclean)