‘Financial freedom’ or fraud? AI-generated Prime Minister Albo sparks concern
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An online video featuring the Prime Minister has sparked concern, touting bold promises of 'financial freedom' tied to a questionable investment offer.
It's the latest in a growing trend of digital content blurring the line between real and fake. Sounds too good to be true? That’s because it is.
Now, pressure is mounting on tech platforms to crack down on misleading material before more people are duped.
A deepfake video featuring Anthony Albanese has emerged, with the digitally generated PM encouraging Australians to join a questionable investment scheme by claiming it offers them 'financial freedom'.
'Registration takes just a few minutes, submit an application, get a free consultation, invest, and watch the system earn for you,' the fabricated Albanese says in the video.
According to a transcript of the scam, the AI version of the Prime Minister also declares: 'Greetings. From the first day I became prime minister, I wanted to improve the tax system. We will not fully get rid of taxes, of course, but any resident will be able to receive dividends from them.'
While the voice bears some resemblance to Mr Albanese, its robotic tone and occasional American inflections give it away as artificial.
Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services Daniel Mulino criticized platforms like YouTube for not doing enough to prevent these kinds of deepfake scams.
He emphasized the government's commitment to cracking down on fraud, noting that over $180 million has already been allocated to fight online scams.
'We've introduced legislation that will require social media companies, banks and telcos to do much more to stop scammers, or face penalties of up to $50 million,' Mr Mulino said.
In the video, the fake Albanese also claims users could earn up to '$25,000 a month' by following a QR code and investing in cryptocurrency.
This isn’t the first instance of prominent Australians being targeted. Back in 2023, entrepreneur Dick Smith fiercely criticized Meta for allowing scam ads that used his likeness to circulate across Facebook and Instagram.
'It's completely fake. These deepfakes are being used to trick everyday Australians into giving up their hard-earned money,' Mr Smith said. 'The greed is so great, they're running ads from criminal organisations. Australians have already lost millions.'
Source: @Video_Forensics / X.
Billionaire Andrew Forrest is also taking legal action against Meta for hosting similar fraudulent crypto ads featuring his image.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that roughly 230,000 fake ads using Forrest’s likeness were spread across the company’s platforms.
Despite a 25.9% reported decline in scam losses from 2023 to 2024, Australians still lost an estimated $2 billion last year, based on figures from the National Anti-Scam Centre.
ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe has warned Australians to be on alert: 'Scammers are creating fake news articles and deepfake videos to convince people that celebrities and well-known public figures are making huge sums of money using online investment trading platforms,' she said. 'In fact, it is a scam.'
Meta’s Oversight Board issued a strong rebuke in June, faulting the company for allowing deepfake scams of public figures to persist due to inadequate reviewer training and limited enforcement powers.
One example involved a fake ad featuring Brazilian football icon Ronaldo Nazário promoting a gambling app, which remained online despite being flagged over 50 times.
Meta has disputed many of the board’s findings, stating they were 'inaccurate' and that facial recognition tools are being deployed to detect and prevent such impersonations.
Read more: Deepfake videos of Norman Swan are tricking people into buying unproven supplements at a risk to their own health
Have you or someone you know come across a suspicious ad or deepfake online? What steps do you take to stay safe from scams? Share your stories and tips in the comments below!
It's the latest in a growing trend of digital content blurring the line between real and fake. Sounds too good to be true? That’s because it is.
Now, pressure is mounting on tech platforms to crack down on misleading material before more people are duped.
A deepfake video featuring Anthony Albanese has emerged, with the digitally generated PM encouraging Australians to join a questionable investment scheme by claiming it offers them 'financial freedom'.
'Registration takes just a few minutes, submit an application, get a free consultation, invest, and watch the system earn for you,' the fabricated Albanese says in the video.
According to a transcript of the scam, the AI version of the Prime Minister also declares: 'Greetings. From the first day I became prime minister, I wanted to improve the tax system. We will not fully get rid of taxes, of course, but any resident will be able to receive dividends from them.'
While the voice bears some resemblance to Mr Albanese, its robotic tone and occasional American inflections give it away as artificial.
A fake AI-generated video featuring Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is circulating online, promoting a dodgy cryptocurrency investment scam and falsely promising ‘financial freedom’. Image source: Sky News Australia / Youtube.
Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services Daniel Mulino criticized platforms like YouTube for not doing enough to prevent these kinds of deepfake scams.
He emphasized the government's commitment to cracking down on fraud, noting that over $180 million has already been allocated to fight online scams.
'We've introduced legislation that will require social media companies, banks and telcos to do much more to stop scammers, or face penalties of up to $50 million,' Mr Mulino said.
In the video, the fake Albanese also claims users could earn up to '$25,000 a month' by following a QR code and investing in cryptocurrency.
This isn’t the first instance of prominent Australians being targeted. Back in 2023, entrepreneur Dick Smith fiercely criticized Meta for allowing scam ads that used his likeness to circulate across Facebook and Instagram.
'It's completely fake. These deepfakes are being used to trick everyday Australians into giving up their hard-earned money,' Mr Smith said. 'The greed is so great, they're running ads from criminal organisations. Australians have already lost millions.'
Source: @Video_Forensics / X.
Billionaire Andrew Forrest is also taking legal action against Meta for hosting similar fraudulent crypto ads featuring his image.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that roughly 230,000 fake ads using Forrest’s likeness were spread across the company’s platforms.
Despite a 25.9% reported decline in scam losses from 2023 to 2024, Australians still lost an estimated $2 billion last year, based on figures from the National Anti-Scam Centre.
ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe has warned Australians to be on alert: 'Scammers are creating fake news articles and deepfake videos to convince people that celebrities and well-known public figures are making huge sums of money using online investment trading platforms,' she said. 'In fact, it is a scam.'
Meta’s Oversight Board issued a strong rebuke in June, faulting the company for allowing deepfake scams of public figures to persist due to inadequate reviewer training and limited enforcement powers.
One example involved a fake ad featuring Brazilian football icon Ronaldo Nazário promoting a gambling app, which remained online despite being flagged over 50 times.
Meta has disputed many of the board’s findings, stating they were 'inaccurate' and that facial recognition tools are being deployed to detect and prevent such impersonations.
Read more: Deepfake videos of Norman Swan are tricking people into buying unproven supplements at a risk to their own health
Have you or someone you know come across a suspicious ad or deepfake online? What steps do you take to stay safe from scams? Share your stories and tips in the comments below!
