A deepfake video with AI-generated audio of Taylor Swift is circulating on Facebook and Instagram ads, falsely claiming she’s giving away $10,000 in $1,000 Visa gift cards. This giveaway is not real but a hidden subscription scam.
The deepfake video uses a voice that impersonates Taylor Swift and claims:
”Hey guys it’s Taylor Swift here, I am in such a positive place right now and I want to share my good fortune with everyone since times are so tough and i am giving away free $1000 visa gift card to the first 10,000 people that see this video. If are still seeing this video then that means we still have gift cards available to give away, all you have to do is to press the button”.
How the Scam Works
When you click the link, it takes you to a website called deskarticle.com. The site claims there are $1,000 Visa gift cards still available and shows a picture of Taylor Swift. After clicking through, you get a message saying you’ve won a $1,000 gift card. You’re then asked to fill out a form and pay $7.84 for delivery, with the promise that the gift card will arrive in 2-7 days. The second stage of the scam, The website redirects you to simpleworthalluremark.com where you fill out you information and put your personal details including your credit card number to complete the order. This is a scam.
Why It’s A Scam
Makes Use Of Deepfake Voice
The scammers use AI-generated videos featuring American singer Taylor Swift. If you closely examine the video, you’ll notice that the lips and voice don’t match up.
Hidden Subscription
A close look at the terms and conditions page, you will find a shipping handle fee of $7.84 and an extra hidden subscription trap of $139.74 every 30 days.
Hidden Location
The scammers are keeping their location a secret. On the contact page of simpleworthalluremark.com, there’s just a short statement about their commitment to service, with no phone number or email address provided.
Recently Registered website
The website simpleworthalluremark.com was recently created on July 1 2024 and will expire July 1 2025. This is a common tactic associated with scam websites.
How To Spot Fake Video Ads Created With Deepfake AI
Aside from the usual poor lip-syncing, robotic-sounding voices, strange word pronunciations, and digital background noise of Deepfake constructed videos, here are things to watch out for;
Watch out for unnatural facial expressions and awkward facial-feature positioning: If someone’s face is pointing one way and their nose is pointing another, it clearly indicates something is off.
Look out for Unnatural eye movement: a lack of eye movement, such as an absence of blinking — are red flags.
Has zero emotion that doesn’t go along with what they’re supposedly saying.
Teeth that don’t look real: An absence of outlines of individual teeth could be a clue that a particular video is created with deepfake technology.
What To Do If You Fall For This Scam
Cancel your credit card
Immediately call your financial provider and cancel your credit card. By so doing, the credit card details you used for your transaction would become null and void.
Request for a new card
After the old credit card has been cancelled, ask for a new card, it doesn’t cost much to get one. Your credit card issuer will issue you a new one with different numbers.
Report the Fraud To Relevant Authorities
Report the scam to relevant authorities and organizations. This includes:
Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3): If you are in the United States, you can file a complaint with the IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov/.
Your Local Consumer Protection Agency: Contact your local consumer protection agency or the equivalent regulatory body in your country.
Better Business Bureau (BBB): File a complaint with the BBB if the online store is based in the United States.
Our Verdict
Taylor Swift is not giving away any Visa gift cards. The woman seen in the promotional video is neither Swift, nor even a real person. Usually offers of free money or easy prizes are almost always scams. Swift isn’t the only celebrity target of social media swindlers. As artificial intelligence technology becomes more sophisticated, these types of deepfake scams are on the rise. Stay safe.
I'm Maria, a journalist. I fact-check and provide accurate information on trending topics. Prior to working on Infoquu, I worked as a Research Analyst for organizations.
Samantha