Deepfake of Brian May Used in Scam Offering Fake Queen Backstage Tickets
Scammers created a deepfake video on TikTok purporting to show guitarist Brian May offering discounted backstage tickets to Queen concerts. May issued a public warning on Instagram, calling it a scam designed to steal money from fans, and advised people to use only official ticketing channels.
What happened
Scammers posted a deepfake video on TikTok purporting to show Brian May offering backstage tickets to Queen concerts for $800, claiming only 10 people would be selected from comments.
The video falsely stated that backstage tickets had been reduced from $2,000 to $800. Brian May posted on Instagram warning fans the video was a scam, stating he had been alerted to the 'horrible criminal activity' and called it a 'disgusting attempt to steal money from trusting fans.'
Reported impact
The scam targeted Queen fans by exploiting the musician's likeness and the band's reputation to solicit payments for non-existent backstage access.
Index analysis
Queen has no future tour dates planned and does not offer backstage tickets for money, according to reports. The deepfake video exhibited characteristics typical of AI-generated content but was advanced enough to potentially deceive viewers unfamiliar with the band's actual ticketing practices.
Governance controls
Fans were advised to purchase tickets only through official ticketing websites such as Ticketmaster or the band's official website.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.