Scammers Can’t Deepfake These Celebrities Because They’re Already So Untrustworthy

Celebrity deepfake fraud is a growing problem across the globe, costing victims an estimated $2.19 billion last year alone. Scammers use AI technology to pose as celebrities. This allows them to scam thousands out of fans. There are some celebrities that people trust implicitly, making them particularly susceptible to being used by scammers. There are some celebrities that scammers likely won’t use, though. People already don’t trust them.

Scammers won’t use these celebrities in deepfake frauds because people already don’t trust them

According to new research by Surfshark, deepfake fraud cost people $2.19 billion globally and $712 million in the United States alone. They also noted that fewer than half of Americans (42%) feel confident they can spot a celebrity deepfake video. 

There are also some celebrities whom people are more willing to trust. Surfshark found that Tom Hanks tops the list of the most trustworthy celebrities with a 4.48 out of 5 trustworthiness rating. Dolly Parton comes in second at 4.35, and Morgan Freeman follows closely behind her at 4.34. Adults over the age of 65 are most at risk of falling victim to a deepfake fraud. Hanks, Parton, and Freeman are all legacy celebrities whom people have known for years. 

While there is a long list of trustworthy celebrities, there are some whom people simply don’t trust. Those at the bottom of the list are not all that surprising. Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) and Jake Paul are tied with a trustworthiness score of 1.74. Other untrustworthy celebrities include IShowSpeed at 1.88, Logan Paul at 1.95, and Mark Zuckerberg at 1.96.