Scammers used AI deepfake technology to create fake videos of celebrities including Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez promoting fraudulent Le Creuset cookware giveaways on social media, tricking fans into providing personal information and credit card details for hidden subscription charges.
Fraudsters deployed AI-generated deepfake videos across social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok featuring celebrities like Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Oprah Winfrey, and others falsely endorsing free Le Creuset cookware giveaways. The sophisticated deepfakes used text-to-speech technology and lip-syncing programs to create convincing videos where celebrities appeared to announce giveaways due to 'packaging errors' or 'warehouse surplus.' When users clicked on these ads, they were redirected to fake news websites mimicking legitimate outlets like Food Network, which requested a small shipping fee of $9.96 for the 'free' cookware. Victims who provided their credit card information were unknowingly enrolled in monthly subscription charges of $89.95 without consent and never received any products. Meta confirmed removing the fraudulent ads, and Le Creuset stated they had no partnership with any celebrities for giveaways. The scam particularly targeted fans of the celebrities, with some users reporting they paid the shipping fee and never received cookware. Computer science experts noted that decent-quality deepfake videos can be created in under 45 minutes using increasingly accessible AI tools.
Domain classification, causal taxonomy, severity scores, and national security assessments were LLM-classified and may contain errors.
Using AI systems to gain a personal advantage over others such as through cheating, fraud, scams, blackmail or targeted manipulation of beliefs or behavior. Examples include AI-facilitated plagiarism for research or education, impersonating a trusted or fake individual for illegitimate financial benefit, or creating humiliating or sexual imagery.
Human
Due to a decision or action made by humans
Intentional
Due to an expected outcome from pursuing a goal
Post-deployment
Occurring after the AI model has been trained and deployed