Online scammers are using AI voice cloning technology to make it appear as if celebrities like Steve Harvey and Taylor Swift are encouraging fans to fall for medical benefits-related scams on YouTube. 404 Media first reported on the trend this week. These are just some of the latest examples of scammers harnessing increasingly accessible generative AI tools to target often economically impoverished communities and impersonate famous people for quick financial gain.
404 Media was contacted by a tipster who pointed the publication towards more than 1,600 videos on YouTube where deepfaked celebrity voices work as well as non-celebrities to push the scams. Those videos, many of which remain active at time of writing, reportedly amassed 195 million views. The videos appear to violate several of YouTube’s policies, particularly those around misrepresentation and spam and deceptive practices. YouTube did not immediately respond to PopSci’s request for comment.
How does the scam work?
The scammers try to trick viewers by using chopped up clips of celebrities and with voiceovers created with AI tools mimicking the celebrities’ own voices. Steve Harvey, Oprah, Taylor Swift, podcaster Joe Rogan, and comedian Kevin Hart all have deepfake versions of their voices appearing to promote the scam. Some of the videos don’t use celebrities deepfakes at all but instead appear to use a recurring cast of real humans pitching different variations of a similar story. The videos are often posted by YouTube accounts with misleading names like “USReliefGuide,” “ReliefConnection” and “Health Market Navigators.”
“I’ve been telling you guys for months to claim this $6,400,” a deepfake clones attempting to impersonate Family Feud host Steve Harvey says. “Anyone can get this even if you don’t have a job!” That video alone, which was still on YouTube at time of writing, had racked up over 18 million views.
Though the exact…
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