Fátima Bernardes targeted by deepfake scam selling fake health products
Brazilian journalist Fátima Bernardes was targeted by a deepfake scam in which criminals created fake videos using her image and cloned voice to promote fraudulent health treatments, particularly for vision problems. She publicly exposed the fraud in April 2025 and announced she is pursuing legal action against those responsible.
What happened
In January 2025, criminals created deepfake videos using Fátima Bernardes' image and voice to promote false health treatments, particularly for vision problems. The fake videos claimed she was endorsing a revolutionary eye treatment method.
On April 3, 2025, Bernardes publicly exposed the scam on Instagram and in a video partnership with Agência Lupa, a misinformation-fighting organization. She stated that criminals had manipulated her image and voice without authorization to make her appear as an ophthalmologist, criminologist, and nutritionist endorsing unregulated health products.
Reported impact
Followers reported being deceived by the fraudulent content, with dozens of people harmed by purchasing fake products based on the deepfake videos. The scam used excerpts from real interviews by Bernardes, distorted in context to simulate endorsements of fake eyeglasses and unregulated supplements.
Index analysis
The deepfakes combined facial replacement, voice cloning, and contextual editing of old interviews to create realistic fake videos. The fraudsters exploited Bernardes' reputation and social media presence to lend credibility to the false health claims.
Governance controls
Bernardes announced she is pursuing legal action to identify and punish those responsible. Digital crime specialists noted that while complex, tracing the perpetrators is possible through video metadata and financial transactions linked to product sales.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.