How scammers used AI-generated Instagram ads of Gisele Bundchen and other celebrities to earn millions
A group of suspected scammers in Brazil reportedly earned millions of dollars through online fraud by running Instagram ads featuring AI-generated deepfakes of supermodel Gisele Bundchen and other celebrities. According to a report by the news agency Reuters, police investigators confirmed the fraud, which was executed using manipulated celebrity images. Authorities arrested four suspects tied to the scheme this week and froze assets across five Brazilian states. The federal anti-money laundering agency, COAF, identified over 20 million reais ($3.9 million) in suspicious funds linked to the operation. The operation represents one of the first significant attempts in Brazil to combat the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) to manipulate celebrity images and videos for online scams.
