Deepfake adverts falsely show Bank of England governor in conflict with UK politician
AI-generated deepfake advertisements showing Andrew Bailey, governor of the Bank of England, in physical confrontations with Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, on BBC's Question Time were circulated on X (formerly Twitter) in June 2026. The adverts linked to fake news articles promoting investment scams and reportedly originated from a Russia-linked network.
What happened
AI-generated deepfake adverts appeared on X showing Andrew Bailey, governor of the Bank of England, in physical confrontations with Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, on the set of BBC's Question Time.
The fake images depicted Bailey and Farage in conflict, sometimes being separated by police, with one showing Farage holding a gun. The adverts were shared by dozens of different X accounts and linked to fake news articles falsely reporting on a Question Time episode in which Farage clashed with Bailey, claiming he stormed off after a confrontation.
Bailey has never appeared on BBC's Question Time. The articles promoted investment schemes designed to exploit members of the public.
Reported impact
Bailey stated that the deepfakes were linked to scams designed to criminally exploit the public, particularly the vulnerable, describing them as an online scourge.
Analysts at Bitdefender described the network behind the scams as a global, coordinated investment scam ecosystem apparently tied to Russia. Similar investment scams using Bailey's likeness were previously found on Facebook.
Index analysis
The deepfakes fabricated a public confrontation between Bailey and Farage on a real television programme that never took place, falsely attributing statements and actions to both individuals.
Governance controls
Bank of England staff reported the adverts to X for removal. Bailey urged other users to report the scams to help authorities root out digital deception and permanently remove the fraudsters responsible.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.