DeepfakeHigh
Purported Russian-Linked Network Allegedly Used Deepfake of Maria Ressa on Facebook and Bing to Promote Cryptocurrency Scam Targeting Filipinos
- Occurred
- Feb 6, 2024
- Published
- Mar 3, 2024
- Source
- AI Incident Database
Summary
A purportedly Russian-linked scam network allegedly circulated an AI-generated deepfake of journalist Maria Ressa on Facebook and Microsoft Bing. The video reportedly manipulated a 2022 interview to falsely depict Ressa endorsing cryptocurrency. Fraudulent websites allegedly impersonating Rappler and CNN Philippines reportedly amplified the scam. Investigators reportedly linked the operation to a fraudulent network targeting Filipino audiences. Meta and Microsoft removed the content, but similar scams allegedly continue to resurface.
Developers
- Deepfake technology developers
- Synthetic audio generation technology developers
Deployers
- TD Globus Contract
- Russian-linked scam network
- M1 Shop
Harmed parties
- Rappler
- Public trust in media institutions
- Potential cryptocurrency scam victims
- Maria Ressa
- Filipino social media users
- CNN Philippines
Classification
Category confidence: 95%
Severity confidence: 85%
Rationale: AI-generated deepfake used in cryptocurrency scam targeting specific demographic, causing financial harm and requiring platform intervention.
Classifier: Qwen/Qwen3.5-35B-A3B-FP8