Meta removes AI deepfake video of Irish presidential candidate in investment scam
Fraudsters created an AI deepfake video showing Irish presidential candidate Heather Humphreys endorsing a fraudulent high-return investment scheme. Meta removed the video after it was reported, but Bank of Ireland warned it represents part of a growing wave of convincing deepfake scams targeting the public during the election period.
What happened
Fraudsters created an AI deepfake video purporting to show Fine Gael presidential candidate Heather Humphreys endorsing a high-return investment scheme offering to earn €4,500 a week. The video was entirely fabricated using AI-driven voice and image cloning technology and featured a fake RTÉ news report, with RTÉ presenter Kate Egan's likeness also used without consent.
Meta removed the video after it was reported, confirming it violated policies against using public figures deceptively to scam people.
Reported impact
Bank of Ireland warned that the deepfake videos were designed to lure unsuspecting individuals into fraudulent schemes and are part of an ongoing spate of scams exploiting public trust in well-known figures. A survey for Bank of Ireland found nearly three quarters of people in Ireland distrust adverts on social media platforms and do not trust social media companies to protect users from fraud.
Index analysis
The incident exemplifies a growing trend where deepfake technology is used to create convincing fake endorsements by political figures and media personalities to promote fraudulent investment schemes during an election period.
Governance controls
Meta stated it has robust processes and teams to review ads before they go live and has put substantial resources towards tackling deepfake-based 'celeb-bait' ads, including using facial recognition technology. Bank of Ireland's head of fraud called for social media platforms to be required to verify that financial services advertisers are authorised by a recognised regulatory body before ads go live, and called on the EU to address the growing wave of online scams.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.