Scammers used advanced technology to create a fake advertisement starring Taylor Swift, hoping to deceive her fans into sending them money. This fake ad, which was circulating online recently, promoted a phony giveaway collaboration between the popstar and Le Creuset cookware. The fraudulent video featured a manipulated version of Swift’s voice and footage of her alongside Le Creuset dutch ovens, falsely claiming to give away cookware sets due to a supposed packaging error.
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According to the New York Times, customers who interacted with the now removed Facebook ad were taken to websites that imitated well-known home goods platforms such as Food Network. These sites promised a free cookware set to sweepstakes winners, only requiring a small shipping fee of $9.96. However, after paying, customers were allegedly hit with recurring charges and did not receive the promised cooking set. Le Creuset clarified that they have no partnership with the individual named Swift, 34, for any consumer giveaways. They advised customers to verify official social media accounts before engaging with advertisements to avoid falling victim to scams.
Scammers utilized deep fake technology to create a deceptive advertisement featuring Taylor Swift, with the aim of tricking her fans into handing over money. This fake ad, generated by artificial intelligence, was seen on Facebook recently and falsely claimed a giveaway collaboration between the singer and Le Creuset cookware.
Taylor Swift has a fondness for the luxurious cookware brand, Le Crueset. In 2020, Le Crueset posted a picture on its Facebook page showing her using their dutch ovens while cooking. This moment also made an appearance in her Netflix documentary, Miss Americana.
In 2014, actress Jamie King gave Taylor Swift a Le Creuset set as a housewarming present, as reported by the cookware brand.
The post was originally shared on a Facebook group called The most profitable shares. In the fake video, a digital version of Taylor Swift excitedly announced a free giveaway of Le Creuset sets to her fans, known as ‘Swifties’. She encouraged viewers to quickly fill out a survey to claim their prize, mentioning that supplies were limited. The video gained about 2,300 views before being removed. A Meta spokesperson confirmed the ad’s removal to NBC News. Le Creuset quickly distanced themselves from the promotion, stating that they are not associated with Taylor Swift’s giveaway offers and advising consumers to only trust official Le Creuset social media posts and their website. Experts believe the ad was likely created using a text-to-speech tool that converts written scripts into synthetic voices. The fake audio was then added to manipulated video clips using lip-sync technology.
Swift has not been connected to the ad in any way. The singer from Anti-Hero was seen heading to dinner at popular restaurant Lucali in Brooklyn, New York City this past Wednesday. “These tools are getting easier to use nowadays,” said Dr. Siwei Lu, a computer science professor at the University at Buffalo, in an interview with the New York Times. “It’s becoming more convenient, which is why we are seeing an increase in usage.”
Dr. Lu mentioned that with the help of AI technology, users can create a good-quality video in less than 45 minutes. There is no hint of Taylor Swift being associated with the advertisement, even though the pop star is known to favor the high-end cookware brand Le Creuset. Back in 2014, actress Jamie King gave Swift a Le Creuset set as a gift for her new home. In her Netflix documentary Miss Americana (2020), Swift was seen using the brand’s products in the kitchen. Meta and a representative for Swift did not respond immediately to requests for comments from MailOnline. Swift is the most recent celebrity to face a deep fake ad issue. Last year, actor Tom Hanks warned his social media followers about his likeness being used in an advertisement for a dental plan that he had no involvement with. A day after Hanks’ warning, TV personality Gayle King also posted about being targeted by a deep fake ad promoting a product she did not endorse. The scammers utilized a recent video of King promoting her radio show and altered it by adding synthetic audio. King advised her followers not to fall for the misleading advertisement.
In October of last year, famous actor Tom Hanks took to his social media to caution his followers about a dental plan using his image to advertise, clarifying that he had no association with it.
TV host Gayle King took to social media the day after Tom Hanks to alert her followers about a fake AI deepfake video promoting a product she did not support. The scammers manipulated a recent video of King promoting her radio show by altering the audio. King warned her fans not to fall for the deceptive advertisement.
During that same week, popular YouTuber James Donaldson, also known as MrBeast, went on social media to caution his fans about a deceptive deep fake advertisement that falsely showed him promoting a giveaway for an iPhone 15. In a similar vein, Scarlett Johansson’s legal team recently demanded that the app Lisa AI cease using her likeness in their online advertisement, as it creates avatars based on real people’s images. A new report has highlighted the dangers of AI-generated fake news, which have the potential to disrupt global elections, leading to violence and threatening press freedom. The proliferation of misinformation was identified as the most significant risk in the upcoming years, according to a survey of 1,400 business leaders and experts. Advances in artificial intelligence technology have made it increasingly challenging to differentiate between computer-generated content, such as deepfake videos, and real-life events.
