Deepfake videos of Croatian politician used in get-rich-quick scam ads
Deepfake videos using the likeness and voice of Ivan Penava, president of Croatia's Domovinski pokret party, were posted on YouTube to promote fraudulent get-rich-quick schemes linked to the website miradox.info. Penava and his party stated they did not authorize the use of his image and have taken legal action against the unauthorized use.
What happened
In late August 2025, videos were published on YouTube featuring deepfake content that replicated the likeness and voice of Ivan Penava, president of the Domovinski pokret party, falsely endorsing a 'fast and secure income' scheme linked to the website miradox.info.
The ads violated YouTube's policies against deceptive and get-rich-quick schemes. The Domovinski pokret and Penava stated the unauthorized use of his image and voice represented a violation of his personality rights.
Reported impact
The party and Penava warned citizens not to click on the ads, share personal information, or transfer funds to the miradox.info website. The ads were described as false, manipulative and deceptive content created to mislead the public.
Index analysis
The Domovinski pokret stated that the use of deepfake technology to create unauthorized replicas of political figures for fraudulent financial schemes is a common online fraud tactic and called for public caution.
Governance controls
The Domovinski pokret requested urgent removal of the ads and identification of the advertiser in accordance with YouTube's platform obligations. Legal action was initiated by the party regarding the unauthorized use of Penava's name, image and voice.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.