Deepfake videos of CNN Portugal and PM Montenegro used in financial scam
AI-generated deepfake videos of CNN Portugal anchor and Prime Minister Luís Montenegro were used in a YouTube advertisement and fake news article to promote a fraudulent AI trading platform scheme in Portugal, promising unrealistic financial returns from small initial investments.
What happened
A YouTube advertisement and fake ECO news page used AI-generated deepfake videos to promote a financial scam. The advertisement featured a fabricated interview between CNN Portugal anchor Ana Sofia Cardoso and economist António Costa about an alleged government opportunity to earn over 15,000 euros monthly with an initial investment of 250 euros.
The fake ECO page promoted an alleged state program called 'Quantum AI', described as an AI-based trading platform. It included a deepfake video of Prime Minister Luís Montenegro purportedly holding a press conference, claiming the platform guaranteed safe funds, absolute data confidentiality, and 98% successful transactions, with promised weekly earnings of 9,000 euros from a 220-euro initial investment.
Reported impact
The scam targeted Portuguese citizens with false promises of financial gains through AI trading, representing an apparent investment fraud scheme.
Index analysis
The deepfake videos were created using AI tools applied to real images of public figures. The fake interview was forged from an excerpt of CNN Prime Time broadcast on 9 February 2026.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.