Deepfake videos impersonate Colombian priest in health product scam
Cybercriminals used deepfake video and voice cloning technology to impersonate a prominent Colombian priest and promote health products without authorization. The priest and his organization issued public alerts on 23 February 2026 warning the public of the fraudulent scheme.
What happened
Cybercriminals used artificial intelligence to create deepfake videos impersonating Padre Diego Jaramillo Cuartas, president of Corporaci贸n Organizaci贸n Minuto de Dios, to promote health products including collagen remedies.
The fraudulent videos were distributed on social media using lip-sync and voice cloning technology to make the deepfakes appear convincing.
Reported impact
Padre Jaramillo and Minuto de Dios issued alerts on 23 February 2026 stating that the unauthorized use of his image and voice constituted deceptive advertising designed to defraud the public.
The priest denied any commercial relationship with collagen or health product distributors and warned the community not to click suspicious links or share personal data with fraudulent accounts.
Governance controls
Minuto de Dios stated that official information about Padre Jaramillo's pastoral mission is communicated exclusively through certified channels of the organization.
The organization's communications directorate issued an official alert and instructed the public to report the fraudulent content as a scam.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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