AI deepfake video impersonates Greek celebrities in weight-loss product scam
Greek TV presenter Σταματίνα Τσιμτσιλή and singer Άννα Βίσση were impersonated in a deepfake video that used AI voice synthesis and video synthesis to promote weight-loss products in an apparent fraud scheme. The presenter publicly warned about the advancing sophistication of AI-generated scams on 13 January 2025.
What happened
A deepfake video circulating online depicted Greek TV presenter Σταματίνα Τσιμτσιλή and singer Άννα Βίσση appearing together to promote weight-loss products. The video used artificial intelligence to create synthetic speech that mimicked both celebrities' voices and was composed from fragments of their actual statements.
Σταματίνα Τσιμτσιλή revealed the scam on the morning of 13 January on the TV show Happy Day, stating that she had previously been connected to multiple online fraud schemes involving other public figures and cryptocurrencies.
Reported impact
Σταματίνα Τσιμτσιλή noted the video was convincing enough to potentially deceive viewers, and warned the public to prepare for advancing AI capabilities in voice mimicry and deepfake generation.
Index analysis
The incident demonstrates the use of deepfake technology combined with voice synthesis to impersonate public figures for financial fraud. The scammers assembled sentences from legitimate content to create the appearance of a coordinated endorsement of unspecified weight-loss products.
Governance controls
Σταματίνα Τσιμτσιλή stated she had previously reported similar incidents to the Cybercrime Directorate (Δίωξη Ηλεκτρονικού Εγκλήματος), but received no action due to the websites involved changing providers frequently.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.