Identity fraud is everywhere these days, with scammers preferring to impersonate government officials, large corporations, and even politicians. But often they can also pretend to be your favorite celebrity. You’ve probably seen deepfakes of celebrities promoting cryptocurrencies, NFTs, or sketchy products (seriously, Tom Hanks isn’t promoting fake medical products here). Many celebrities have been caught up in these scams, but if you’re wondering who the top targets are in 2024, we’ve put together a list and tips on how to avoid falling for them.
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Illustration of a hacker at work (Kurt “Cyber Guy” Knutson)
2024 Hacker Celebrity Hot List
cyber security company McAfee has compiled a handy list of the top 10 celebrities who are often targeted by malicious deepfake scams and dangerous search results. At the top of the list is Scarlett Johansson, an actor known for her roles in Marvel’s Avengers series and films such as Lucy and Lost in Translation. Right behind her is Kylie Jenner, a media personality known for her beauty products. There are many other celebrities on the list, so let’s take a closer look.
1) Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson’s name and likeness have been used in various advertisements and promotions without her permission. Earlier this year, OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, released an AI model called GPT-4o that features audio output that closely resembles that of an actor. However, Johansson never allowed the AI model to use her voice. After she hired a lawyer and sent a formal letter to OpenAI, the company removed the audio.
“Celebrity Hacker Hot List” (McAfee) (Kurt “Cyber Guy” Knutson)
2) Kylie Jenner
Kylie Jenner is a popular reality star and influencer whose name and likeness have been used without permission in social media giveaway scams and fake Kylie Cosmetics products and websites.
3) Taylor Swift
Popular singer Taylor Swift is frequently the target of fraud in which her name and likeness are used without permission. These include fake celebrity endorsements for products she never promoted, ticket scams that trick fans into buying concert tickets that don’t exist, and fraudulent product giveaways.
Additionally, Swift has been used in disinformation campaigns that contain false political endorsements, despite her vocal support for only specific causes and candidates.
4) Anya Taylor-Joy
Anya Taylor-Joy was the victim of a scam in which her name and likeness, including fake social media accounts, were used for fraudulent giveaway campaigns without her consent. Additionally, her image has been used to spread misinformation, especially regarding her role in the streaming series, causing confusion among fans. Scammers have exploited her rise to fame, especially after her success on “The Queen’s Gambit,” to deceive the public and capitalize on her popularity.
5) Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks has been the target of a scam in which his name and likeness have been used to promote “miracle cures” and “magic bullets” without his consent. These scams often falsely link the popular actor with health products and treatments, misleading people into thinking he endorses them. The actor was forced to share a message on Instagram warning fans not to fall for ads that falsely use his name, likeness and voice to promote these drugs.
6) Sabrina Carpenter
Singer Sabrina Carpenter claims her name and likeness were used without permission to promote a controversial app designed to promote a fake ticket sales scheme and create sexually explicit images. has become a target of fraud.
7) Sidney Sweeney
Actor Sydney Sweeney, known for her standout roles in hit series such as ‘Euphoria’ and ‘White Lotus’, is exploited in a scam where her name and likeness are used without permission to facilitate a cryptocurrency fraud scheme has been done. These scams often falsely claim that the actress endorses various crypto investments, misleading fans into thinking they can trust her recommendations.
8) Blake Lively
Blake Lively, known for her roles on Gossip Girl and A Simple Favor, is the target of a scam in which her likeness was used without her permission to promote fraudulent weight loss gummy products.
9) Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp, the famous actor known for his iconic roles in movies such as “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Edward Scissorhands,” has fallen victim to a scam that uses his likeness without his permission. His image has been exploited for a variety of fraudulent activities, including giveaway scams, cryptocurrency schemes, and misleading fundraising campaigns.
10) Addison Rae
Addison Rae is a popular singer and social media influencer, best known for her viral dance videos on TikTok and her rising music career. However, her likeness has been used without permission in numerous scams, including fake endorsements, fraudulent giveaways, and misleading cryptocurrency promotions.
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Deepfake cybercrime is on the rise
Thanks to advances in generative AI, individuals without technical expertise can now easily create fake personas of others. The lack of regulation in this area has paved the way for scams that can rob people of their hard-earned money. Alongside phishing scams and malware-laden links that exploit a celebrity’s popularity and reputation to fool fans, these highly realistic video and audio clips can convincingly imitate a person’s likeness. Masu. This makes it increasingly difficult to discern whether content is real or fake.
person surfing on laptop (Kurt “Cyber Guy” Knutson)
Cyber crooks use AI to manipulate Google search results
5 ways to avoid falling for deepfake scams
1) Check the source. Always check the authenticity of the source before trusting the content. Look for official accounts or reliable news outlets to verify information, especially if it involves a celebrity or public figure.
2) Look for discrepancies. Pay attention to the details in videos and images. Deepfakes can include subtle inconsistencies, such as unnatural facial movements, awkward lighting, and mismatched audio. If something doesn’t seem right, trust your instincts and investigate further.
3) Invest in strong antivirus software. To protect yourself from deepfake scams and other cyber threats, it’s important to protect your devices with reliable antivirus software. These scams include those that exploit celebrity images for fraudulent giveaways or unauthorized product endorsements, and often use phishing emails, malicious websites, or links containing malware to lure users. deceive
Protecting your device with reliable antivirus software is an effective way to protect against deepfake scams and other cyber threats. Powerful antivirus programs often include features that detect malicious websites and suspicious downloads and warn you of potential scams in advance. Get my picks for the best antivirus protection products of 2024 for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices.
4) Educate yourself: Stay up to date on the latest deepfake technology and common scams related to it. Understanding how deepfakes are created will make it easier to recognize potential fraud.
5) Use reverse image search. If you see a suspicious image or video, use a reverse image search tool (such as Google Images) to check if the content has been altered or used in other misleading contexts.
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Cart important points
AI is a useful technology, but it is also a very dangerous technology. Malicious attackers are successfully leveraging this technique to scam people and generate legitimate-looking phishing emails and messages that are nearly impossible to detect. Additionally, AI makes everything so much easier and faster that cybercriminals can target people on an unprecedented scale. Companies developing these AI models must put safeguards in place to prevent misuse of the technology, and governments must enforce these safeguards.
Have you encountered a deepfake or scam using someone’s likeness? Email us. Cyberguy.com/Contact.
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