Wath out Swifties, Taylor Swift is not giving away any cookware
Taylor Swift has become the latest victim of a deepfake video scam. The pop star’s image has been used in an AI-generated deepfake scam video endorsing a fake Le Creuset cookware giveaway. The video, which is being circulated across social media, reportedly shows Swift urging her fans to share their bank details for a chance to win one of 3,000 cookware sets from the luxury cookware brand. In the manipulated social media ads, Swift seems to be “thrilled” to be giving away to her “loyal fans” free cookware sets for just a shipping fee of $9.96 shipping.
The Le Creuset deepfake AI scam
In the deepfake video, Swift’s AI-generated voice says, “Hey y’all, it’s Taylor Swift here. Due to a packaging error, we can’t sell 3,000 Le Creuset cookware sets. So I’m giving them away to my loyal fans for free.” The video further mentions a few rules that the participants need to follow and a form that they need to fill up by clicking a link below the video.
“These will only be given out until the end of the day today so don’t hesitate,” the AI-generated Swift adds. Upon clicking the form link, people are directed to a website where they are asked to provide a “small shipping fee of $9.96.” However, as per a New York Times report, the victims who submitted their card details were hit with recurring charges instead of a one-time fee.
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The reality behind the deepfake video
The deepfake video uses several clips of the singer taken from a 2016 video interview with Vogue, “73 Questions with Taylor Swift.” In the original video, the Grammy-winning artist gave a tour of her home while answering rapid-fire questions. The bogus ad plays the clips alongside various images of Le Creuset products.
Swift is a known fan of the luxury cookware brand, which also appears in the documentary scenes filmed at her home. Further in 2014, the pop star surprised her superfan Gena Gabrielle by attending her bridal shower and gifting her two Le Creusets, as per an LA Times report.
Response from Le Creuset
In the LA Times report, a spokesperson for Le Creuset stated that the brand is not involved with Taylor Swift for any consumer giveaway. “All approved Le Creuset giveaways or promotions come from the official Le Creuset social accounts,” the statement said.
The spokesperson further advised fans to always check Le Creuset’s official social media accounts and website before clicking or sharing any details on an ad. Currently, the group or person behind the scam is unknown. The ads that have been posted across social media and several Facebook groups are being rapidly deleted to protect people.
Celebrity deepfake scams are on the rise
While Taylor Swift is the latest to become a subject of AI deepfakes, she is certainly not the only one. Last year, popular YouTuber, MrBeast was the subject of a scam in which he was shown giving away iPhones on social media. Given the MrBeast's association with giveaways, the deepfake video appeared to be very convincing for the fans. This is a common strategy used by these kinds of scams.
Further, other celebrities who have been victims of deepfake scams include Tom Hanks, Gayle King, Steve Harvey, Ice Cube, Oprah, and even Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.
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