AI deepfakes of UK Prime Minister and Royals exploited in Facebook crypto scams

AI-generated videos of UK Prime Minister Kerr Starmer and Prince William are being used to advertise crypto scams on Facebook and Instagram. According to research firm Fenimore Harper, more than 250 ads promoting a platform called ‘Immediate Edge’ have been promoted since the UK election that brought Starmer to power in early July.

In a new report , Fenimore Harper said Immediate Edge aggressively pushed the deepfake ads to unassuming users on social media. It said the platform’s ad has reached 890,000 people on Facebook and Instagram. It reported that so far, Immediate Edge has spent £21,000 ($27,000) on these ads. The research firm found the ads using Meta’s large language model, Llama 3.1.

The crypto scam encourages viewers to send money and personal info  

Both Starmer’s and Prince William’s deepfake videos promised people a “life-changing opportunity”, accessible only by adding personal data like name, phone number, and email. The campaign promoted Immediate Edge as a new platform backed by the UK Prime Minister and Prince of Wales where one can earn up to £1,000 per day.

When users click on the advertised link, it leads them to a landing page where they are asked to provide their personal information. Per the report, the crypto scammers would then reach out to users, encouraging them to deposit money into a fake online trading platform. Scammers typically show a fake portfolio with trading gains to fool people into making more deposits.

The Immediate Edge scammers disappeared each time a user requested to withdraw their funds, Fenimore Harper detailed.

In one example, Starmer’s deepfake is quoted saying:

“Your life is about to change. I am Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and leader of the Labour Party. I have been waiting for you. Today is your lucky day. I don’t know how you found this page, but you won’t regret it.”

The AI-made ad claims that 45 individuals have been selected to earn “life-changing money” via a mysterious project. It promises daily earnings of £1,000, amounting to £7,000 per week or £27,000 per month, without needing any prior knowledge or special skills. It also claims that “this is not a scam” and Starmer himself did not need anything from the viewers.

Some of the adverts used third parties while citing that it was an initiative from the UK Prime Minister.

In one ad, a deepfake of Prince William endorses the platform, expressing the Royal Family’s support. It said: “Good afternoon, honored citizens of the United Kingdom. I am pleased to announce that I, Prince William, and the entire Royal Family fully support Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s initiative and his new platform.”

According to the report from Fenimore Harper, the ad claims that the initiative is necessary and will help improve citizens’ lives, urging viewers to join and create a better future for the country.

Facebook and Instagram continue to struggle with crypto scam ads 

Many of the links used in the crypto now lead nowhere, the report said even though some of the deepfake ads are still running. The adverts had fallen under the anti-spam radar on both Facebook and Instagram. Google also failed to flag the crypto scam. Google searches on Immediate Edge told users that the platform is a legitimate trading software.

Marcus Beard, the founder of Fenimore Harper, says that unless stern measures are taken, the disinformation will continue.

“These campaigns can now impersonate well-known figures with ease, and sow disinformation online at an unprecedented rate,” he said, as reported by the UK Independent newspaper. “They pose a huge risk to individuals, public figures, businesses and to our democracy.”

Both Meta and Google said they do not condone misinformation and the use of AI deepfakes on their platforms. Meta has since pulled down most of the illegal ads involving Starmer and Prince William, a spokesperson said. Google explained that its “spam-fighting systems help keep Google Search 99 spam free, despite ever-evolving attempts from spammers.”