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AII-1000-66529
AllegedThe record is a lawsuit, complaint or accusation that has not been decided.Supporting sources are pending verification.

Deepfake video of Argentine businessman used for extortion

An Argentine businessman reported being extorted with a deepfake video showing him making provocative gestures, with attackers demanding $5 million pesos not to distribute it on social media. He alleged the synthetic video was created using AI technology and said he was considering filing a complaint with authorities.

3 April 2026 · Mariano Páez · Fraud, scams and manipulation
3 April 2026
AII-1000-66529
Quick facts
Category
Fraud, scams and manipulation
Country
Argentina
Date
3 April 2026
Drafted by
Raidu Incident Detection

What happened

Mariano Páez, an Argentine businessman from Santiago del Estero, reported that a video showing him making provocative gestures was created using artificial intelligence and used to extort him.

According to Páez, unknown individuals contacted him demanding $5 million pesos in exchange for not distributing the deepfake video, and he received threatening messages after the video circulated on social media.

Reported impact

Páez stated that he fears for his security and that of his family, and said the AI-generated video was intended as a public attack during an already difficult period for his family involving his daughter's legal case in Brazil.

Index analysis

Páez said he is analyzing filing a judicial complaint to investigate the origin of the video and identify those responsible.

Classification

Category
Fraud, scams and manipulation
Industry
Digital security
Country
Argentina
Harm status
Actual harm
Intent
Intentional
Timing
Unknown
Harm types
Economic or property, Psychological, Reputational
Harmed
Business
Failure modes
Deepfake video, Manipulation or dark pattern
Consequences
None recorded
AI systems
AI video generation system

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.

How sources are verifiedSuggest a source for this incident