A familiar face on a screen is no longer enough to approve a payment. Neither is a voice you recognise, a celebrity endorsement or a website that looks official. Before you move money or share private information, check the request somewhere the sender does not control.
Artificial intelligence can help scammers impersonate people. It can also be the product they claim will make you rich. Those are different problems. A deepfake is generated or altered media that makes someone appear to say or do something they did not. An “AI-powered” sales pitch, meanwhile, may offer no reliable evidence that the promised technology or earnings exist.
These five documented cases and campaigns show the difference. They are five forms of deception, not a scientific ranking of severity. The examples come from official reports in Hong Kong, Australia and the United States. Their practical lessons apply to checking requests at home and at work, including in the Caribbean.
1. The executive who appeared on a video call
In an account published in June 2024, Hong Kong authorities described a fraud reported that January: a worker authorised transfers after a video conference apparently involving the company's chief financial officer. Police reported a loss of about HK00 million.
The important detail is easy to miss: the conference was prerecorded. There was no actual interaction with the impersonator in the video. Payment instructions continued through instant messaging. The government's account said the case remained under investigation at the time.
Your check: Confirm unusual payment instructions through a known company number or established approval system. Use contact details you already hold, not those supplied in the message. A convincing meeting does not replace payment controls and independent verification.
2. The celebrity investment endorsement that was never real
Australia's Scamwatch published examples of fake celebrity investment promotions in March 2024, including an article misusing Hugh Jackman's image. Its alert documents fake articles, deepfake videos and trading websites that claimed to use AI or other advanced technology to produce large profits.
The familiar person and news-style design supply borrowed credibility. The dashboard can then appear to show gains even when the supposed investment is a scam. A celebrity's image in an advert is not evidence of endorsement, and a rising line on a website is not evidence that your money is invested.
Your check: Look up the firm through the relevant financial regulator's official register. Match the exact business, website and contact details independently. A real licence number can be copied by an impersonator. In Jamaica, the Financial Services Commission lists company dealers and investment advisers. Registration is not a guarantee of returns. Do not invest on the strength of a social-media advert.
3. The online relationship that became an investment pitch
In December 2024, Hong Kong's government reported an October police operation against a group using deepfake technology in online dating to draw people into cryptocurrency investments. The official account said 27 people were arrested and more than HK60 million was involved. Arrests are not convictions.
The reported scheme combined a relationship with an investment offer. That combination matters more than whether you can spot something odd in a face or voice. An apparently real person on video can still be misrepresenting their identity or intentions.
Your check: Keep money out of relationships with people you know only online. If a contact introduces an investment, pause and discuss it with someone outside that relationship. Do not let affection, secrecy or a seemingly successful first withdrawal replace independent checks.
4. The business that promised AI would earn money for you
The US Federal Trade Commission sued Ascend Ecom over claims that its AI-powered tools would help customers earn passive income from online storefronts. The agency alleged that customers paid large fees but did not receive the promised income. Its June 2025 announcement described a proposed settlement that would ban the operators from selling business opportunities.
This is an enforcement case about alleged deceptive claims, not proof that a functioning AI system produced the advertised results. The word “AI” was part of the offer. It did not remove the need to examine costs, demand, responsibilities or evidence of earnings.
Your check: Ask for written evidence behind earnings claims, the full fees and ongoing costs, and the conditions for refunds. The Federal Trade Commission recommends checking the business model, expenses and profit claims. Have someone independent review the offer before you pay. A polished demonstration or testimonial does not establish what an ordinary customer earns.
5. The fake official offering help after a scam
In July 2026, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation warned of scammers using an AI-generated video of a senior bureau leader to steer people to a fake Internet Crime Complaint Center website. The imitation site collected information from people trying to report a scam.
The warning describes an ongoing scheme targeting people who had already been defrauded. The offer of help creates another chance to take their information or money. The bureau says its complaint centre does not recover funds through social media and does not ask for payment to recover lost money.
Your check: Reach the reporting agency through its independently verified official website. For the US complaint centre, type www.ic3.gov directly. Do not follow a recovery link sent by a stranger or pay someone claiming to represent the centre.
Five habits worth keeping
These checks draw on the official advice above and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's guidance on AI-enabled financial fraud.
- Pause before acting. Urgency, secrecy and emotional pressure are reasons to check, not reasons to skip a check.
- Confirm through a separate route. Call a known number or use the organisation's established approval process.
- Check the offer, not just the face. Verify the business and its evidence. A video, logo or earnings screenshot is not enough.
- Protect your information. Do not provide passwords, financial details or identity documents through an unverified request.
- Act quickly if you have paid or shared details. Contact your bank or payment provider using its official channel, preserve messages and transaction records, and report the incident to the relevant authorities.
For a household, the useful first step is agreeing how to check an urgent request for money. For a business, it is making sure staff can question an unusual instruction without being penalised for slowing it down. You do not need to prove that a video is fake before refusing to bypass a sensible check.
Sources & further reading
Hong Kong Government, 26 June 2024: prerecorded video-conference payment fraud ↗Scamwatch, 1 March 2024: documented fake celebrity investment promotions ↗Hong Kong Government, 18 December 2024: October deepfake dating investigation ↗Federal Trade Commission, June 2025: Ascend Ecom allegations and proposed order ↗Federal Bureau of Investigation, 20 July 2026: fake recovery officials and complaint websites ↗Federal Bureau of Investigation: business email compromise prevention ↗Federal Trade Commission: checking a business offer or coaching programme ↗Federal Bureau of Investigation, 3 December 2024: AI-enabled financial fraud ↗Financial Services Commission, Jamaica: company dealers and investment advisers ↗ITV News, 17 May 2024: corroborating reporting on the Hong Kong workplace incident ↗Sources checked 2026-10-27. Cases are summarised from the linked reports; practical recommendations are editorial guidance.