DeepfakeHigh
Purported AI-Generated Deepfake of Steven Bartlett Reportedly Used to Promote Fake WhatsApp Investment Group
- Occurred
- Apr 23, 2025
- Published
- Apr 23, 2025
- Source
- AI Incident Database
Summary
A purported deepfake video of entrepreneur and BBC Dragon's Den investor Steven Bartlett circulated on Instagram in April 2025, allegedly claiming to offer exclusive stock tips and inviting users to join a WhatsApp trading group. The reported video referenced U.S. tariff policies to entice viewers with promises of rapid returns. Bartlett's team confirmed the video was fake and worked with platforms to remove it, warning that scammers were attempting to harvest contact details for further fraud.
Developers
- Deepfake technology developers
- Synthetic audio generation technology developers
Deployers
- Unknown scammers impersonating Steven Bartlett
- Scammers
Harmed parties
- Steven Bartlett
- Investors
- General public
- Fans of Steven Bartlett
Classification
Category confidence: 95%
Severity confidence: 90%
Rationale: Deepfake video used for financial fraud and scamming, causing potential financial harm and requiring platform intervention.
Classifier: Qwen/Qwen3.5-35B-A3B-FP8