Taylor Swift may get a lot of airtime at NFL games and award shows, but that doesn’t mean you should believe it when you see her selling cookware on social media. In the internet’s latest “Wait, what?” moment, the iconic singer has found herself the subject of an insidious AI scam.
AI deepfake technology has gotten a little too good over the years, leading to a wide range of celebrity doppelgangers being used to scam unsuspecting users out of their online data and personal finances.
Now, one featuring the famous “Anti-hero” singer’s likeness is being used to sell Le Creuset products to unsuspecting users on social media. As if anyone needed another reason to splurge on artisan cookware during a global economic crisis.
What You Need to Know About Taylor Swift AI Scam
According to a report from the New York Times, a deepfake AI scam has been showing up on social media platforms like TikTok and Facebook that shows Taylor Swift promoting, endorsing, and even giving away Le Creuset cookware products.
The actual video features the likeness of the singer, as well as a synthetic version of her voice using phrases like “Swifties” to convince users of its authenticity. Even worse, Taylor Swift is a known lover of Le Creuset products, with her cookware appearing in exposés and documentaries on multiple occasions, which lends even more credibility to the recent scam.
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Once users click on the link, they’re taken to fake versions of popular cooking sites and shown falsified testimonials. Then, of course, they’re asked to provide financial information to cover the shipping for their free cookware, which is now in the hands of scammers to do with it what they please.
Other Celebrity AI Deepfake Scams to Watch Out For
While Taylor Swift is one of the most famous AI deepfakes to pop up lately, she’s certainly not the only celebrity likeness that has been used to scam users out of their money and personal data.
In fact, the likeness of MrBeast was used in a scam last year that saw the most popular YouTuber in the world giving away iPhones on social media. Given the MrBeast’s proclivity towards charity, the claim is far from farfetched, which is a notable theme across these kinds of scams.
Other celebrity deekfake scams that have popped up over the years include Tom Hanks, Gayle King, Steve Harvey, Ice Cube, Oprah and even The Rock.
How to Spot an AI Deepfake
Now that you know your favorite celebrities could be lurking on social media platforms waiting to trick you into buying stuff that will never show up, you probably want to learn how to spot these kinds of scams. After all, most people can’t spot deepfakes on their own, so a little help can go a long way.
First off, a simple online search of the endorsement or giveaway will almost always yield the information you need. In fact, these kinds of scams are tracked by websites just like Tech.co, so you can keep an eye out for known threats to your online security.
There are also AI image detectors out there, but in most cases, an inquisitive eye should be able to discern the authenticity of a deepfake. Simply put, thinking critically about a celebrity endorsement before handing over your financial data is always a good start to avoiding scams.
Header image credit: Jana Zills, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
