Fake videos and celebrity ads (deepfakes)
AI can make a real person appear to say anything. Learn a quick check-before-you-pay habit so a convincing video never costs you money.
The short answer
A deepfake is a fake video, photo or voice recording made with AI to look and sound like a real person. Scammers use them to make famous people appear to recommend products or investments they’ve never heard of.
The rule of thumb: don’t judge by how real it looks. Check where it came from.
What scammers use deepfakes for
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the FBI have warned about:
- Fake celebrity endorsements, with “doctored video and audio that seems like the real thing,” pushing things like cookware, weight-loss products and money-making schemes. [1]
- Fake investment promotions: videos of well-known people promising big returns. [2]
- Fake celebrity photos promoting counterfeit products, or goods that never arrive. [2]
- Fake live video calls from someone pretending to be a company boss, a police officer or another authority figure. [2]
How big is the problem? Google says that in 2025 alone it blocked or removed over 8.3 billion ads, including 602 million ads associated with scams. [3] Big platforms catch a lot, but not everything, so your own check still matters.
Check before you pay
Before you buy, invest or click on anything a “famous person” recommends:
- Check the source. Is it on the person’s official, verified website or social media account, or reported by trusted news? An ad or a random account sharing it isn’t proof.
- Search it. The FTC suggests searching the person’s name, the company or product, and words like “scam” or “fake.” [1] Other people have often already reported it.
- Be extra careful with money promises. Every investment carries risk. Claims of high returns with little or no risk are a classic warning sign. [1]
Clues a video or photo might be fake
The FBI lists signs that can give AI fakes away:
- Distorted hands or feet, odd teeth or eyes, or blurry, irregular faces
- Shadows that don’t match the light
- Lag or lips that don’t match the words, or a voice that doesn’t quite fit
- Unnatural movements [2]
AI keeps getting better, so these clues won’t always be there. Checking the source (above) is the habit that keeps working.
A video can look completely real and still be fake. Never send money, buy, or “invest” just because a famous face says so. For health products, the FTC suggests talking to your doctor first. [1]
Next time you see an ad with a famous person in it, try the search check: type their name, the product’s name and the word scam into a search engine, and see what comes up.
- Deepfakes are AI-made videos, photos or voices of real people.
- Don’t judge by how real it looks; check the source and search for “scam.”
- Be very wary of “celebrity” money tips and limited-time pressure.
Saw a fake ad? Report it to the website or app where you saw it. In the US, you can also report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
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Sources
- FTC Consumer Alert — Did a celebrity really endorse THAT? Maybe not (Apr 2024)— accessed Oct 3, 2026
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center — PSA: Criminals use generative AI to facilitate financial fraud (Dec 2024)— accessed Oct 3, 2026
- Google — Our fight against fraud: 5 ways we're keeping you safer (May 2026)— accessed Oct 3, 2026
What changed
Oct 3, 2026: First published. Added Google's 2025 scam-ad figures.