AI-Generated Scam Ads Impersonated NZ Revenue Commissioner in Fake Crypto Webinar
Social media scam ads used AI-generated images purporting to show New Zealand's Inland Revenue Commissioner Peter Mersi to lure people to a fake webinar on crypto tax changes. The ads were designed to steal personal information for identity theft and account access, and were removed by Meta only to reappear with minor alterations.
What happened
Social media scam ads used an AI-generated image purporting to show Inland Revenue Commissioner Peter Mersi to invite people to a closed live webinar on upcoming crypto tax changes. Stephen Lynch, Inland Revenue's service owner for cyber security, stated the image was not Peter Mersi, incorrect versions of the Inland Revenue logo were used, and the invitation did not come from anyone at Inland Revenue.
Lynch said the campaign used false, probably AI-generated images and messaging to trick people into providing personal information for account access or identity theft. Following notifications to Meta, the series of ads was taken down but reappeared slightly altered the next day.
Reported impact
Inland Revenue received more than 3000 reports of scams from the public in the three months to the end of February. Lynch noted that investment scams on social media platforms and websites contributed to New Zealanders losing $265 million to fraud in the previous year.
Index analysis
Digital platforms use sophisticated algorithms to push content based on user search history, making the scam reach targeted audiences. The Financial Markets Authority has previously warned that scammers impersonate celebrities, journalists, politicians and financial commentators, with some using deepfake videos to promote fake investment advice and platforms.
Governance controls
Inland Revenue investigates and searches for scams to pass details to social media platforms for ad removal. Lynch advised people to use ad-blockers when browsing, restrict or limit ads in social media settings, and block calls and texts from unknown numbers.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
This record was researched and written by the Index from original reporting. Its sources are still being verified by an editor, and they are listed here once that check is complete. Until then the record carries no reviewer.