{"meta":{"exportedAt":"2026-11-07T02:58:37.714Z","formatVersion":2,"selection":{"q":"investment-fraud","system":"","harm":"","context":"","country":"","role":"","relation":"core","evidence":"","year":"2025","response":"","severity":"","verification":"","view":"incidents","sort":"added"},"totalIncidents":5,"coverage":{"cases":5,"countries":4,"languages":3,"unknownLocation":0,"locationPending":0,"unknownLanguage":0,"unknownDate":0,"lawsuits":0,"regulatory":2,"minors":0,"coreRelations":5,"contextualRelations":0,"mixedRelations":0,"unknownRelations":0,"relationPending":0,"relationUnknown":0},"countingNote":"Distinct public cases in this selection. People counts apply within individual cases only; cross-case person overlap has not been resolved. No population incidence estimate.","affectedCountNote":"Interpret person counts with affectedCountStatus and the reported effects. Unquantified zeros are placeholders, not a measured zero.","source":"AI incidents","publisher":"NOPE","url":"https://nope.net/incidents","license":"CC BY 4.0"},"incidents":[{"id":"2025-mumbai-police-arrest-ad-agency-staff-over-deepfake-stock-analyst-investment-ads","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'According to the police, the scamsters zero in on unsuspecting victims who click on these ads with deepfakes of popular investment analysts and business news anchors.'; 'the Mumbai police have found that the scamsters are using Indian digital advertising agencies to place fake investment ads containing deepfake videos on Facebook and Instagram to snare victims.'; 'Suvarna Shinde, senior inspector of west region cyber police, said Valueleaf had provided their Meta advertisement ID — unique ID given to a company — to the Chinese fraudsters even though they were aware it was being used to upload deepfake videos on social media platforms.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'arrested four senior employees of a digital advertising company for allegedly providing access to Facebook advertising accounts to Chinese cybercriminals.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"'Four senior staffers of digital marketing company Valueleaf were arrested for allegedly providing Facebook advertising ID access to Chinese fraudsters to post deepfake videos of a famous share market expert on social media platforms with the aim of duping investors, a police official said on Saturday.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s5"}],"assertion":"Mumbai police arrested four employees of a Bengaluru digital advertising company, Valueleaf, saying they gave Chinese fraudsters access to the company's Meta advertising IDs, which were used to run Facebook and Instagram ads containing deepfake videos of investment analysts and business news anchors.","causal_attribution":"Police account relayed by several outlets from the same briefing; allegations, not findings of a court."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'The police said they received a complaint on September 29 from a well known Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) research analyst, who also appears on TV channels.'; '“In these videos people were asked to invest in various shares,” he told the police, adding that the link below the video directed them to a WhatsApp group where they were told they could get tips from him and make good money.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'The fraud came to light last month when a SEBI-registered research analyst and stock market expert approached the Mumbai police alleging that his video had been used as a deepfake to promote some companies.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'According to the complaint, since Sept 29, cyber fraudsters used AI-generated deepfake videos of the analyst, created from his appearances on business news channels, to promote bogus investment schemes in the name of reputed companies.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"The case began with a complaint by a SEBI-registered research analyst who appears on television, who told police that deepfake videos of him were circulating on social media and that viewers were directed to a WhatsApp group promising share tips from him; according to the complaint, the videos were created from his appearances on business news channels.","causal_attribution":"The depicted analyst's complaint as relayed by police and outlets."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'“Also, once the deepfake videos were put up using their ad ID, it was clear that it was used to defraud people and they still took no action. Meta platform also displayed a yellow flag next to these videos clearly indicating they were deepfakes.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'According to investigators, this could be the first case in India where deepfake technology has been used to commit investment fraud.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"A police official said Meta displayed a yellow flag next to the videos indicating they were deepfakes, and investigators told Lokmat Times this could be the first case in India in which deepfake technology was used to commit investment fraud.","causal_attribution":"Investigating police attribute the videos to deepfake technology; no technical basis is disclosed and the Meta flag itself was not inspected."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'The police said that the people would invest in shares via the fake application links provided by the accused and they would be shown huge profits. However, they would be unable to withdraw their money.'; '“Due to the promoted advertisements on social media several people get cheated and several cases are registered. People fall for such scams because they think experts are guiding them,” said deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Purshottam Karad.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'The victims are then added to WhatsApp groups and duped in online share trading scams.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Police say people who clicked on the ads were added to WhatsApp groups, invested through fake trading app links, were shown large profits and could not withdraw; the deputy commissioner said several people were cheated through the promoted ads and several cases were registered.","causal_attribution":"Police description of the fraud; individual victims and losses are not described."},{"id":"c5","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'The fraudulent videos were circulated between July 1 and July 18, after which Meta took them down.'; 'When Meta (Facebook) flagged the content for spreading misinformation, the accused increased the number of advertising accounts from 18 to 38 and changed their registered domain location to Dubai to escape detection.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"Lokmat Times reports that the videos circulated from 1 to 18 July 2025 before Meta took them down, and that after Meta flagged the content the number of advertising accounts was increased from 18 to 38.","causal_attribution":"One outlet's account of investigators' findings; other outlets give only the September complaint date."},{"id":"c6","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'The company earned Rs 3 crore from the Chinese masterminds in Indian and Dubai currency, police said.'; 'The accused were produced before court and remanded in police custody till Monday.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'The police have booked the accused under sections 318 (cheating), 319 (cheating by personation), 336 (forgery) and 356 (criminal defamation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"Police say the company received about Rs 3 crore; the four were booked for offences including cheating by personation and forgery and remanded in police custody.","causal_attribution":"Police statements on charges and payments; charges are allegations."},{"id":"c7","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'An official said while those arrested claimed they were not aware that their services were used to upload fraudulent videos'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"A police official said those arrested claimed they were not aware their services were used to upload fraudulent videos.","causal_attribution":"The accused's position as relayed by a police official."}],"effects":[{"label":"deepfake videos of a stock market analyst ran as investment ads; police say several viewers were cheated and the analyst complained","claim_id":"c4","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/online-share-trading-scams-in-india-chinese-fraudsters-using-indian-digital-ad-companies-to-snare-victims-police-10315068/","kind":"news","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Article page returns 403 to this host; read in full from the Internet Archive capture (web.archive.org/web/2025id_/) on 2026-10-31. English; no translation.","independence_group":"mumbai-west-region-cyber-police-oct-2025"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/four-arrested-in-cyber-frauds-using-deep-fake-of-analysts-101760813870071.html","kind":"news","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"English article read in full on 2026-10-31; no translation.","independence_group":"mumbai-west-region-cyber-police-oct-2025"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.lokmattimes.com/mumbai/mumbai-cyber-police-bust-chinese-backed-deepfake-share-trading-scam-a522/","kind":"news","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"English article read in full on 2026-10-31; no translation.","independence_group":"mumbai-west-region-cyber-police-oct-2025"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/deepfake-videos-with-china-link-4-ad-co-staffers-held/articleshow/125980775.cms","kind":"news","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"English article read in full on 2026-10-31; page metadata dates it 15 December 2025 although it reports the October arrests; no translation.","independence_group":"mumbai-west-region-cyber-police-oct-2025"},{"id":"s5","url":"https://bestmediainfo.com/mediainfo/mediainfo-digital/police-arrest-valueleaf-employees-for-sharing-facebook-ad-ids-with-chinese-scammers-10582819","kind":"news","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"PTI-based report; page returns 403 to this host, read from the Internet Archive capture on 2026-10-31. English; no translation.","independence_group":"mumbai-west-region-cyber-police-oct-2025"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["finance"],"unknowns":["How the videos were made and which tool was used; police disclose no technical basis.","How many investors were cheated and how much they lost.","Whether the circulation window was July 2025 (Lokmat Times) or continued after the 29 September complaint; the Times of India wording (\"since Sept 29\") conflicts.","The outcome of the prosecution."],"geography":{"basis":"The adverts targeted investors in India, the depicted analyst is SEBI-registered, and Mumbai police registered the case and made the arrests in Bengaluru and Thane (Hindustan Times, Indian Express). Remand by a court is reported but the court is not named, so court_countries is left empty.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["IN"],"affected_person_countries":["IN"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published because investigating police describe the adverts as deepfake videos of stock market analysts, a depicted analyst complained to police, and police say viewers were cheated through the adverts. The technical basis for the deepfake attribution is undisclosed.","reviewed_on":"2026-10-31"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"Investigating Mumbai police officers describe the adverts as deepfake videos of the analyst and others, a police official says Meta flagged them as deepfakes, and investigators call the case a use of deepfake technology for investment fraud; the complaint says the videos were created from the analyst's television appearances. The fabricated likeness of the analyst is what drew viewers into the fraudulent WhatsApp groups. Police disclose no technical basis, the tool is not identified and one report quotes police calling the videos morphed.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Mumbai police say ad agency staff let fraudsters run deepfake videos of a stock market analyst as investment ads; four arrested","summary":"Mumbai's West Region cyber police arrested four employees of Valueleaf, a Bengaluru-based digital advertising company, in October 2025, saying they had given Chinese fraudsters access to the company's Meta advertising IDs, which were used to run Facebook and Instagram ads with deepfake videos of stock market analysts and business news anchors. The case began with a complaint from a SEBI-registered research analyst who appears on television and found deepfake videos of himself in the ads; according to the complaint, the videos were created from his appearances on business news channels. Police say viewers who clicked were added to WhatsApp groups offering share tips, invested through fake trading apps, were shown large profits and could not withdraw their money; the deputy commissioner said several people were cheated and several cases registered. A police official said Meta had flagged the videos as deepfakes. Lokmat Times reports that the videos circulated from 1 to 18 July 2025 before Meta removed them. Police say the company received about Rs 3 crore. The four were booked for offences including cheating by personation and forgery and remanded in police custody; they reportedly said they did not know their services were being used for fraud. The analyst is not named in the sources, and how the videos were made is not described.","incidentDate":"2025-07-01","incidentEndDate":"2025-07-18","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"range","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2025-10-18","aiSystem":"Unidentified tool used to make deepfake videos of Indian stock market analysts and business news anchors for investment-fraud adverts, as described by Mumbai police","aiProduct":"Unidentified video tool","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["financial_loss","reputational_harm"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Police say deepfake videos of a stock market analyst ran as investment ads that drew viewers into fake share-trading schemes in which several people were cheated; the analyst complained to police (reported).","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"partial","affectedCountEvidence":"One identified person: the SEBI-registered research analyst whose likeness was used and who complained to police (Hindustan Times, Indian Express). Police also say several people were cheated through the ads and several cases were registered (Hindustan Times, quoting the DCP), which is not a count, so the status is partial. Viewers, advertising accounts and the Rs 3 crore paid to the agency are not counts of harmed people.","victimAgeRange":"adult","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"criminal_charges","outcomeStatus":"pending","primarySourceUrl":"https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/online-share-trading-scams-in-india-chinese-fraudsters-using-indian-digital-ad-companies-to-snare-victims-police-10315068/","primarySourceLabel":"The Indian Express, 19 October 2025: how Chinese fraudsters used Indian digital ad companies in trading scams","firstPublishedAt":"2026-10-31T03:10:19.019939+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-10-31T03:10:19.019939+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfake","investment-fraud","ai-video","depicted-or-impersonated","police","advertising"]},{"id":"2025-karnataka-police-say-ai-generated-trump-video-promoted-trump-hotel-rental-investment-app-lawyer-lost-savings","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'allegedly lured him into investing in a Trump Hotel rentals scheme using an AI-generated video of US President Donald Trump promising high returns, police said on Monday'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'The police said cybercriminals used the AI-generated video of Donald Trump to dupe people in Bengaluru, Tumakuru, Mangaluru, and Haveri.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"Police said the cybercriminals used an AI-generated video of Donald Trump to draw people into a fake 'Trump Hotel Rentals' investment scheme run through a mobile app.","causal_attribution":"Attributed to police by two outlets; the technical basis is not stated, and the police release PTI quotes does not mention AI."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'he came across a video on YouTube offering an investment opportunity in \"Donald Trump Hotel Rentals.\"'; 'When he clicked the link, he was directed to download a mobile application.'; 'he deposited Rs 5,93,240 to various bank accounts, UPI IDs, and digital wallets between January 25 and April 4.'; 'However, he stopped receiving returns and was unable to recover the invested amount.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'claimed he deposited Rs 5,93,240 between January 25 and April 4 this year'; 'In January this year, I came across shorts on YouTube that offered to invest in the Donald Trump Hotel.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"A lawyer saw YouTube videos offering investment in 'Donald Trump Hotel Rentals' in January 2025, downloaded the app and deposited Rs 5,93,240 between 25 January and 4 April 2025, and could not recover it.","causal_attribution":"The lawyer's own account, given in his complaint as relayed by police to PTI and in his interview with the Indian Express: one witness, so reported; whether the clips he saw contained the AI-generated video rests on the police attribution."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'A case has been registered under the IT Act and Section 318(4) (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, police said.'; 'Rs 1.5 lakh in the bank account to which the money was transferred has been frozen, a senior police officer said.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Police registered a case under the IT Act and the cheating provision of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and froze Rs 1.5 lakh in the receiving account.","causal_attribution":"Police statements reported by PTI."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'More than 200 investors from Karnataka have complained to cybercops that they were collectively defrauded of nearly Rs 2 crore'; 'A total of 15 cases have been registered in Haveri district.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'has been used to dupe more than 200 people in the last few months in several cities of Karnataka'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"More than 200 investors in Karnataka complained to cyber police of losing nearly Rs 2 crore through the app, with cases registered in several districts, 15 of them in Haveri.","causal_attribution":"Police figures relayed by both outlets; one underlying origin. Whether each complainant saw the AI-generated video is not established."}],"effects":[{"label":"lawyer lost Rs 5,93,240 deposited into the fake app after the video","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.theweek.in/wire-updates/national/2025/05/26/mes19-ka-cyber-fraud.html","kind":"wire_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"PTI copy republished by The Week; the live page returned 403, so a 2025 Internet Archive capture was read in full in English by the research agent (an AI) on 2026-10-21. No translation was needed.","independence_group":"pti-haveri-police"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/bangalore/ai-generated-trump-video-dupe-people-karnataka-10029617/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"The live page returned 403; a 2025 Internet Archive capture was read in full in English by the research agent (an AI) on 2026-10-21. Includes the Indian Express's own interview with the lawyer. No translation was needed.","independence_group":"indian-express-karnataka"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/trump-app-over-200-in-karnataka-fall-prey-to-investment-fraud-lose-rs-2-crore/articleshow/121428182.cms","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read in English by the research agent (an AI) on 2026-10-21 (HTTP 200). Own reporting with a police inspector's quotes. No translation was needed.","independence_group":"times-of-india-bengaluru"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["finance"],"unknowns":["How the police established that the Trump video was AI-generated, and which tool made it.","How many of the more than 200 complainants saw the video before investing.","Whether anyone has been arrested or any money returned beyond the Rs 1.5 lakh frozen."],"geography":{"basis":"Police in Karnataka, India, registered the cases, including the lawyer's complaint, and the reports place the victims in Karnataka districts.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["IN"],"affected_person_countries":["IN"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published because investigating police, as reported separately by PTI and the Indian Express, attributed the scheme's promotion to an AI-generated Trump video, and a lawyer's loss of Rs 5,93,240 after seeing such videos is reported from both his police complaint and his own interview. The police attribution's technical basis is undisclosed.","reviewed_on":"2026-10-21"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"Investigating police, as reported separately by PTI and the Indian Express, said the scheme used an AI-generated video of Donald Trump to dupe people into the scheme; the lawyer says he saw such YouTube shorts and then installed the app and deposited his money (depicted_or_impersonated: the generated video impersonated Trump toward the people it deceived). The technical basis for the police attribution is not disclosed, and the police release quoted by PTI mentions only fake links. No generation tool is identified.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Karnataka police say an AI-generated Trump video promoted a fake 'Trump Hotel Rental' investment app; a lawyer lost about Rs 5.9 lakh","summary":"Police in Karnataka, India, said in May 2025 that cybercriminals used an AI-generated video of US President Donald Trump to draw people into a fake 'Trump Hotel Rentals' investment scheme run through a mobile app. A lawyer told police and the Indian Express that in January 2025 he saw short YouTube videos offering investment in Donald Trump hotels, downloaded the app, and deposited Rs 5,93,240 between 25 January and 4 April 2025 after small early payouts, then could not withdraw anything. Police registered a case under the IT Act and the cheating provision of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and froze Rs 1.5 lakh in a recipient account. Reports describe more than 200 complaints across Karnataka districts with losses near Rs 2 crore; how many of those people saw the video is not established. The technical basis for the police description of the video as AI-generated is not disclosed.","incidentDate":"2025-01-25","incidentEndDate":"2025-04-04","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"day","exposurePattern":"single_interaction","reportedDate":"2025-05-26","aiSystem":"Video of Donald Trump promoting 'Trump Hotel Rentals' that police described as AI-generated, used to draw people to a fraudulent investment app; no generation tool is identified","aiProduct":"Unidentified video tool","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["financial_loss"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"According to police and his own account, a lawyer lost Rs 5,93,240 after a YouTube video, which police described as AI-generated, promoting a fake Trump hotel investment app; police report more than 200 complaints statewide.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"partial","affectedCountEvidence":"One person counted: the lawyer, whose loss after seeing the video is reported by PTI (from police) and by the Indian Express (his own account). The Times of India reports more than 200 complainants and police claims of more than 800 investors, but the inspected sources do not establish how many of them saw the AI-generated video, so they are left unquantified. He did not use the AI tool, so he is counted under other people harmed.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"IN","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"investigation_opened","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.theweek.in/wire-updates/national/2025/05/26/mes19-ka-cyber-fraud.html","primarySourceLabel":"PTI via The Week: Karnataka lawyer duped by cyber fraudsters using AI-generated Trump video (26 May 2025)","firstPublishedAt":"2026-10-21T03:05:31.782805+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-10-21T03:05:31.782805+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["india","karnataka","investment-fraud","trump-impersonation","ai-generated-video","task-scam","youtube"]},{"id":"2025-busan-prosecutors-say-investment-fraud-suspect-used-ai-forged-medical-licence-and-bank-statements","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'AI를 이용해 의사국가시험 합격증과 가상화폐 보유 내역 등 가짜 이미지를 만들어 수십억원의 자산을 보유한 의사 겸 사업가 행세를 했다'; '가상화폐 투자, 크루즈선박 사업 투자, 메디컬센터 설립 비용 명목으로 피해자들에게 3억2000만원을 가로챘다'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'The suspect is accused of using AI to create fake images, such as a medical license and cryptocurrency holding statements, to lure investors from August to October last year.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'지난해 8월부터 10월까지 가상화폐 투자, 메디컬센터 설립 등의 명목으로 피해자를 속여 3억2000만 원을 가로챈 혐의를 받는다'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"Prosecutors say that from August to October 2025 the suspect used AI to make fake images of a medical licensing examination certificate and cryptocurrency holdings, posed as a wealthy doctor and businessman, and took about 320 million won from victims for supposed investments.","causal_attribution":"Prosecutors' allegation in an indictment; no court finding."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'그런데 판사는 같은 달 24일 구속영장 청구를 기각했다'; '계좌 잔액이 '904,330,158원'으로 적혀 있는 예금잔고증명서를 제출하면서 같은 달 30일까지 피해액을 변제하겠다고 약속했기 때문이다'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'잔고증명서가 진짜라고 본 재판부는'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"At the December 2025 warrant hearing the suspect gave the judge a bank balance certificate showing 904,330,158 won and promised to repay, and the judge refused the warrant on 24 December.","causal_attribution":"Prosecutors' account of the warrant hearing as reported."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'AI 플랫폼에서 자신의 실제 예금잔고증명서 PDF 파일을 올린 뒤'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'AI를 이용해 23원에 불과한 통장 잔액을 9억 원으로 조작한 잔고증명서를'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"Prosecutors say he made the certificate by uploading his real balance certificate PDF to an AI platform and instructing it to change the balance, and that the real balance was 23 won.","causal_attribution":"Prosecutors' findings from their supplementary investigation."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'지난 6일 투자금 명목 등으로 약 3억2000만원을 가로채고'; '사기, 사문서위조 및 위조사문서 행사, 위계공무집행방해 혐의로 구속기소했다고 11일 밝혔다'; 'AI의 이미지 생성 기능을 이용해 육안으로 식별이 곤란할 정도로 정밀한 자료를 위조해 일반인은 물론 판사까지 속였다'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'The defendant submitted fake AI-generated images that were nearly impossible to distinguish with the naked eye, and even deceived the judge'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"Prosecutors indicted the suspect under detention on 6 February 2026 for fraud, forging and using private documents, and obstructing official duties by deception, and a prosecution official said the AI-made material deceived the public and the judge.","causal_attribution":"Prosecutors' announcement; the charges are allegations."}],"effects":[{"label":"investors lost about 320 million won to a man who posed as a wealthy doctor using AI-made certificate and asset images, according to prosecutors","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://biz.chosun.com/topics/law_firm/2026/02/11/LCM4EAZPMBHN3HFY5Z2D4BG3CE/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"ko","translation_note":"Read in Korean by the research agent (an AI) on 2026-10-13 and translated by that agent; no human translation. Chosunbiz, 11 Feb 2026, HTTP 200; report of the prosecutors' announcement, with the prosecutors' description of the AI platform instruction.","independence_group":"busan-eastern-district-prosecutors-announcement-11-feb-2026"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/korea/man-accused-of-fraud-arrested-after-prosecutors-find-he-allegedly-submitted-falsified-documents-to-court/12056932","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"English-language report, HTTP 200; the outlet states it was translated from its Korean original by a bilingual reporter using generative AI tools and edited by its newsroom.","independence_group":"busan-eastern-district-prosecutors-announcement-11-feb-2026"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.donga.com/news/Society/article/all/20260211/133345194/1","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"ko","translation_note":"Read in Korean by the research agent (an AI) on 2026-10-13 and translated by that agent; no human translation. Donga Ilbo, 11 Feb 2026, HTTP 200; report of the same announcement.","independence_group":"busan-eastern-district-prosecutors-announcement-11-feb-2026"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["finance","justice"],"unknowns":["Which AI platform was used.","How many victims there were and how each payment relates to the AI-made images.","The victims' own accounts.","The outcome of the trial."],"geography":{"basis":"The case was investigated by Busan Suyeong police and indicted by the Busan Eastern District prosecutors, and the warrant hearing was before a Korean court; the fraud is described within that Korean investigation. The victims' countries are not stated, so affected_person_countries is left empty.","court_countries":["KR"],"event_countries":["KR"],"affected_person_countries":[]},"publication":{"basis":"Published as a core impersonation case: Busan prosecutors, who examined the documents, say an investment-fraud suspect used an AI platform's image generation to fake a medical licensing certificate and cryptocurrency holdings, posed as a wealthy doctor and took about 320 million won from victims, and later deceived a warrant judge with an AI-altered balance certificate. The charges are allegations and the record attributes them. The accused and the victims are not named.","reviewed_on":"2026-10-13"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"Busan Eastern District prosecutors, who examined the documents, say the suspect used an AI platform's image-generation function to make fake images of a national medical licensing examination certificate and cryptocurrency holdings, used them to pose as a wealthy doctor and businessman, and showed forged documents to the victims, who paid about 320 million won. The generated images impersonated documents of the examination authority and asset records toward the victims (depicted_or_impersonated). Prosecutors also describe how a bank balance certificate was altered by uploading the real PDF and instructing the platform to change the balance. How each payment relates to the images is not reported.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Busan prosecutors say an investment-fraud suspect used AI images of a fake medical licence and asset records to take 320 million won, then fooled a judge","summary":"The Busan Eastern District branch of the prosecutors' office in South Korea announced on 11 February 2026 that it had indicted a man under detention on 6 February for fraud, forging and using private documents, and obstructing official duties by deception. According to the prosecutors, from August to October 2025 he used AI to make fake images of a medical licensing examination certificate and of cryptocurrency holdings, posed as a doctor and businessman with billions of won in assets, and took about 320 million won from victims for supposed cryptocurrency, cruise-ship and medical-centre investments. When police sought his arrest in December 2025, he gave the warrant judge a bank balance certificate showing about 904 million won, which prosecutors say he made by uploading his real certificate to an AI platform and asking it to change the balance; his real balance was 23 won. The judge refused the warrant. Prosecutors later found the certificate was forged and obtained a new warrant. The accused and the victims are not named here.","incidentDate":"2025-08-01","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"month","exposurePattern":"repeated_interactions","reportedDate":"2026-02-11","aiSystem":"Unnamed AI platform whose image-generation function, according to the Busan Eastern District prosecutors, the suspect used to make fake images of a medical licensing examination certificate and cryptocurrency holdings, and later to alter an uploaded bank balance certificate PDF","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","severity":"high","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["financial_loss"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"According to Busan prosecutors, victims handed about 320 million won to a man who posed as a wealthy doctor using AI-made images of a medical licence certificate and cryptocurrency holdings; the money had not been repaid.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"documented_minimum","affectedCountEvidence":"At least one person harmed: prosecutors describe victims who handed over about 320 million won. Chosunbiz uses a plural for the victims, which is not an explicit count, so only one is counted. The victims did not use the AI tool and are counted as other people harmed.","victimAgeRange":"unknown","jurisdiction":"KR","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"criminal_charges","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://biz.chosun.com/topics/law_firm/2026/02/11/LCM4EAZPMBHN3HFY5Z2D4BG3CE/","primarySourceLabel":"Chosunbiz, 11 Feb 2026: bank balance of 23 won altered to 900 million won with AI, judge deceived; prosecutors detain suspect","firstPublishedAt":"2026-10-13T03:22:08.391542+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-10-13T03:22:08.391542+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["investment-fraud","forged-document","ai-generated-image","fake-medical-licence","south-korea","financial-loss","prosecution"]},{"id":"2025-cyprus-ai-generated-politician-videos-investment-scam-losses-consumers-association-says","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Citizens who fall victim to investment fraud through manipulated videos of politicians encouraging investments are receiving threats when they discover the deception and demand explanations, according to the Cyprus Consumers Association.'; '14 people reported their experiences with these scams in just one day'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The Cyprus Consumers Association says victims of an investment fraud promoted by manipulated videos of politicians received threats when they discovered the deception, and that 14 people reported their experiences with these scams in one day.","causal_attribution":"Statement of the association's president to CyBC as relayed by in-cyprus.com."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'The deception typically begins with a request for a €250 investment, but in one case, losses exceeded €40,000. Some victims reported investing their last available funds.'; 'In one case, a €40,000 investment supposedly grew to €195,000 on paper, but the money was never recoverable.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"According to the association, the scam typically began with a €250 investment; in one case losses exceeded €40,000, and some victims reported investing their last available funds.","causal_attribution":"Association account; no victim speaks and the amounts are not independently established."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'The fraudulent videos feature several prominent figures without their knowledge, including the President of the Republic, Averof Neofytou, and Haris Georgiades. Recently, a government minister was also incorporated into these schemes.'; 'The AI-generated videos show these officials appearing to recommend investments as a solution to economic difficulties.'; 'Drousiotis noted the sophisticated nature of the deepfakes, where the lip movements of politicians matched the fraudulent statements attributed to them.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"in-cyprus.com describes the videos as AI-generated, showing the President of the Republic, Averof Neofytou, Haris Georgiades and a government minister appearing to recommend investments, and reports the association president noting that the politicians' lip movements matched the fraudulent statements.","causal_attribution":"The outlet's description of the videos and the association's comment; no forensic examination is reported."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'The scam operates through a sequence of social media videos, followed by phone calls.'; 'When users express interest, they receive a call from someone claiming to be a “financial advisor” who creates a personal account showing rapidly increasing profits.'; 'When victims eventually try to withdraw funds, they face excuses, delays, and eventually, no response at all.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The scam ran through social-media videos followed by calls from a supposed financial adviser who showed rapidly growing profits, after which withdrawals met excuses, delays and no response.","causal_attribution":"Association account relayed by the outlet."}],"effects":[{"label":"lost money, in one case more than €40,000, to an investment scam promoted by AI-generated videos of politicians","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://in-cyprus.philenews.com/local/cyprus-investment-scam-deepfake-politician-videos-threats/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read in English from an Internet Archive capture (https://web.archive.org/web/2026id_/ prefix) on 2026-10-11 because the live page returned 403. in-cyprus.com (Phileleftheros group) report of 12 May 2025 relaying the Consumers Association president's interview with CyBC; the CyBC interview itself was not read.","independence_group":"cyprus-consumers-association-cybc-interview"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["finance","everyday_life"],"unknowns":["How many people lost money and the total amount; only one loss (over €40,000) is described individually.","When individual victims invested; the association had monitored the scheme since early January and spoke in May 2025.","Which AI tool produced the videos and on which platforms they circulated.","Whether police identified any perpetrator; the nature of the threats victims received.","The CyBC interview itself was not read; the account rests on one relay."],"geography":{"basis":"The association describes citizens in Cyprus who fell victim and some who reported the scams to the police; the videos depicted Cypriot politicians. No court proceeding is reported.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["CY"],"affected_person_countries":["CY"]},"publication":{"basis":"One attributed account (the Cyprus Consumers Association president to CyBC, relayed by in-cyprus.com) describes people in Cyprus who lost money, one more than €40,000, after investment offers promoted by videos the outlet describes as AI-generated deepfakes of politicians. Published as a reported account with a partial count.","reviewed_on":"2026-10-11"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"in-cyprus.com, reporting the Cyprus Consumers Association president's CyBC interview, describes the videos as AI-generated deepfakes in which Cypriot politicians appear to recommend investments, with lip movements matched to the false statements, and says the scam ran through these social-media videos followed by calls from a fake adviser; people who responded lost money, one more than €40,000. The generated likenesses impersonated the politicians toward the people deceived (depicted_or_impersonated). No tool is named and no examination of the videos is reported.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Cyprus: consumers association says people misled by deepfake videos of politicians lost money in an investment scam, one case over €40,000","summary":"The Cyprus Consumers Association said in May 2025 that people in Cyprus who fell for an investment scam promoted by deepfake videos of politicians, including the President of the Republic, Averof Neofytou and Haris Georgiades, lost money: the scam typically began with a €250 investment, one person lost more than €40,000, and some victims reported investing their last available funds. The association's president told CyBC that victims who discovered the deception and demanded explanations received threats, and that 14 people reported their experiences with these scams in one day. The account comes from one interview relayed by in-cyprus.com; no individual victim speaks, no tool is named and the videos were not examined by the outlet.","incidentDate":"2025-01-01","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"year","exposurePattern":"repeated_interactions","reportedDate":"2025-05-12","aiSystem":"Videos that in-cyprus.com, reporting the Cyprus Consumers Association president's CyBC interview, describes as AI-generated deepfakes of Cypriot politicians appearing to recommend investments, with lip movements matched to the false statements; tool not identified","aiProduct":"Unidentified video tool","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["financial_loss"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"The Cyprus Consumers Association says people who fell for investment offers promoted by deepfake videos of Cypriot politicians lost money, one of them more than €40,000, some their last available funds, and that victims who demanded explanations received threats.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"partial","affectedCountEvidence":"One person is described individually: the case in which losses exceeded €40,000. 'Some victims' who invested their last funds and victims who received threats are unquantified plurals. The 14 people who reported their experiences in one day are reports, not established losses, and the depicted politicians are not counted. Partial, minimum 1.","victimAgeRange":"unknown","jurisdiction":"CY","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"media_coverage","outcomeStatus":"unknown","primarySourceUrl":"https://in-cyprus.philenews.com/local/cyprus-investment-scam-deepfake-politician-videos-threats/","primarySourceLabel":"in-cyprus.com, 12 May 2025: Cyprus investment scam victims face threats after falling for deepfake politician videos","firstPublishedAt":"2026-10-11T03:10:56.203213+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-10-11T03:10:56.203213+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfake","fake-politician-advertisement","investment-fraud","fraud","cyprus","depicted-or-impersonated"]},{"id":"2025-pont-a-mousson-ai-generated-macron-arnault-investment-ad-pensioner-savings-loss","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'initiés à partir de publications sur les réseaux sociaux utilisant des avatars de personnalités publiques générés par IA, comme Macron ou Arnault'; 'Des avatars de ces personnalités, générés par intelligence artificielle (IA), fleurissent sur les réseaux sociaux, et proposent des placements financiers juteux mais faux'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'L’affaire remonte à l’été 2025. Une publicité sur Internet promet des placements avantageux, mettant en scène le président de la République Emmanuel Macron et le milliardaire Bernard Arnault'; 'la publicité était en réalité un « deepfake », c’est-à-dire une fausse vidéo générée à l’aide de l’intelligence artificielle utilisant l’avatar de personnes existantes'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'la femme s’est fait duper par une publicité réalisée à l’aide de l’intelligence artificielle dans laquelle Emmanuel Macron et Bernard Arnault conseillent de réaliser des placements avantageux'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"A retired woman in her eighties living in Pont-à-Mousson saw an online advertisement in which likenesses of Emmanuel Macron and Bernard Arnault, described as AI-generated avatars by the regional press reporting the Pont-à-Mousson police station's warning, promoted a lucrative investment platform; Le Parisien places this in summer 2025.","causal_attribution":"Account of the Pont-à-Mousson police station as relayed by L'Est Républicain and, via ICI and L'Est Républicain, by Le Parisien and Capital; one reporting chain. The AI description is the outlets' own wording in reporting that warning; no quoted police statement mentions AI."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Après avoir donné son nom et son numéro, un faux conseiller bancaire la contacte. Il lui explique alors ce qu’elle peut gagner. L’escroc demande qu’elle installe un logiciel sur son ordinateur.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'L’homme, très convaincant, lui propose de placer 5 000 euros pour commencer. Plusieurs semaines après, la promesse est tenue et l’octogénaire reçoit plusieurs centaines d’euros « d’intérêts »'; 'La retraitée accepte et verse à nouveau 5 000 euros'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"She gave her name and telephone number through the advertisement's form, was contacted by a fake financial adviser, was asked to install software on her computer, invested 5,000 euros, received several hundred euros presented as interest, and reinvested repeatedly.","causal_attribution":"Police-station account via the same reporting chain."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'une habitante de Pont-à-Mousson s’est fait escroquer 10 000 € après des placements frauduleux'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'10 000 euros. C’est la somme qu’a perdue une retraitée, résidant à Pont-à-Mousson en Meurthe-et-Moselle, après avoir subi une escroquerie pendant l’été 2025'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'Les escrocs lui ont ainsi dérobé 10 000 euros, en deux retraits successifs de 5 000 euros chacun'","relation":"context","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"She lost at least 10,000 euros: L'Est Républicain and Capital report 10,000 euros, and Marie France (citing CNews) reports 10,000 euros taken in two withdrawals of 5,000 euros.","causal_attribution":"Police-station account via one reporting chain; the amount is not independently established."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Une retraitée a été arnaquée de 25 000 euros, à Pont-à-Mousson (Meurthe-et-Moselle)'; 'Entre juin et juillet 2025, l’octogénaire réitère l’opération plusieurs fois et finit par placer toutes ses économies, soit 25 000 euros'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'s’est fait escroquer 10 000 € après des placements frauduleux'","relation":"contradicts","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'elle décide alors d’investir toutes ses économies'","relation":"context","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"Le Parisien, citing ICI and L'Est Républicain, reports a total loss of 25,000 euros, all her savings, placed in several instalments between June and July 2025.","causal_attribution":"Le Parisien's figure differs from the 10,000 euros of L'Est Républicain, Capital and Marie France; which figure the police gave, or whether the larger one includes later instalments, is not established."},{"id":"c5","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'l’annonce publicitaire, ainsi que le site frauduleux, ont disparu'; 'Une enquête a été ouverte pour tenter d’identifier le ou les auteurs de cette arnaque'; '« Pour ce genre d’arnaque, nous enregistrons entre trois et cinq plaintes par semaine »'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'Le commissariat de Pont-à-Mousson alerte : les escroqueries aux faux conseillers bancaires se multiplient'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"The advertisement and the fraudulent site then disappeared; an investigation was opened, and the Pont-à-Mousson police station publicly warned that it records three to five complaints a week for this kind of fraud.","causal_attribution":"Statements of the Pont-à-Mousson police station to the regional press."}],"effects":[{"label":"lost her savings to a fraudulent investment platform promoted by an advertisement using AI-generated likenesses of Macron and Arnault","claim_id":"c3","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.estrepublicain.fr/faits-divers-justice/2026/06/07/escroquee-par-un-faux-macron-genere-par-ia-elle-perd-10-000-dans-des-placements-frauduleux","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"fr","translation_note":"Read in French and translated by the research agent (an AI) on 2026-10-07 (HTTP 200); no human translator or reviewer read the article. L'Est Républicain (Groupe EBRA) regional report of 7 June 2026 based on the Pont-à-Mousson police station's warning.","independence_group":"est-republicain-ici-pont-a-mousson-police"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/une-retraitee-perd-25-000-euros-apres-avoir-ete-piegee-par-une-fausse-publicite-demmanuel-macron-generee-par-ia-15-06-2026-EXVJWQKNJ5DTTKETUIJO4AABPQ.php","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"fr","translation_note":"Read in French and translated by the research agent (an AI) on 2026-10-07 (HTTP 200); no human translator or reviewer read the article. Le Parisien, 15 June 2026, explicitly based on ICI (France Bleu) and L'Est Républicain; same reporting chain as s1.","independence_group":"est-republicain-ici-pont-a-mousson-police"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.capital.fr/economie-politique/une-retraitee-perd-10-000-euros-a-cause-d-une-fausse-publicite-generee-par-ia-comment-eviter-ce-piege-1527640","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"fr","translation_note":"Read in French and translated by the research agent (an AI) on 2026-10-07 (HTTP 200); no human translator or reviewer read the article. Capital, 15 June 2026, explicitly based on L'Est Républicain and ICI; same reporting chain as s1.","independence_group":"est-republicain-ici-pont-a-mousson-police"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://www.mariefrance.fr/news-people/apres-brad-pitt-faux-emmanuel-macron-vole-milliers-euros-internaute-tombee-panneau-1277321.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"fr","translation_note":"Read in French and translated by the research agent (an AI) on 2026-10-07 (HTTP 200); no human translator or reviewer read the article. Marie France, 10 June 2026, relaying a CNews article; the CNews item was not located. Same police-station account; kept as context for the relay and its differing description of the withdrawals.","independence_group":"est-republicain-ici-pont-a-mousson-police"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["finance","everyday_life"],"unknowns":["Which AI tool produced the advertisement, whether it was a video or still images, and where it was served (the outlets say 'social networks' and 'Internet').","The total loss: 10,000 euros (L'Est Républicain, Capital, Marie France) or 25,000 euros (Le Parisien); whether the woman recovered any money.","Exact dates: Le Parisien places the payments between June and July 2025, while L'Est Républicain of 7 June 2026 says she was defrauded 'this week', which may refer to the complaint; recorded as June 2025 at month precision.","Whether anyone has been identified or charged; the state of the investigation after June 2026.","The CNews article relayed by Marie France was not located; the ICI (France Bleu) report cited by Le Parisien and Capital was not read."],"geography":{"basis":"The woman lives in Pont-à-Mousson (Meurthe-et-Moselle) and the complaint was handled by the Pont-à-Mousson police station, which described the case; the advertisement was seen online from there. No court proceeding is reported.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["FR"],"affected_person_countries":["FR"]},"publication":{"basis":"Single reporting chain (Pont-à-Mousson police station via L'Est Républicain, ICI, Le Parisien, Capital, CNews/Marie France) describing a concrete loss by one identifiable but unnamed pensioner after an advertisement that the regional press, reporting the police station's warning, describe as AI-generated likenesses of two public figures; the AI impersonation is the reported entry point to the fraud. Published as a reported account with the amount discrepancy preserved.","reviewed_on":"2026-10-07"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"L'Est Républicain, reporting the Pont-à-Mousson police station's warning, says the fraud was initiated from social-media publications using avatars of public figures generated by artificial intelligence, such as Macron or Arnault; Le Parisien, citing ICI and L'Est Républicain, describes the advertisement as a deepfake, a fake video generated with AI using the avatars of real people, showing Macron and Arnault praising an investment platform. The generated likenesses impersonated those two men toward the woman (depicted_or_impersonated) and are what led her to fill in the form through which the fraudsters obtained her contact details and money. No outlet examined the advertisement, no tool is named, and no forensic finding is reported.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Pont-à-Mousson pensioner lost her savings to a fraudulent investment platform promoted by an ad reported as AI-generated likenesses of Macron and Arnault","summary":"A retired woman in her eighties living in Pont-à-Mousson (Meurthe-et-Moselle, France) responded, in summer 2025 according to Le Parisien and Capital, to an online advertisement in which AI-generated likenesses of Emmanuel Macron and Bernard Arnault promoted a lucrative investment platform. A supposed financial adviser then called her, she invested 5,000 euros, received several hundred euros of 'interest', and reinvested repeatedly until the advertisement and the site disappeared. L'Est Républicain (7 June 2026) and Capital put the loss at 10,000 euros; Le Parisien, citing ICI and L'Est Républicain, reports 25,000 euros, all her savings. The Pont-à-Mousson police station says an investigation was opened and that it receives three to five complaints a week for this kind of fraud. The account rests on the police station's warning as reported by the regional press, which describes the advertisement as AI-generated; the advertisement itself was not examined by the outlets and the quoted police statements do not mention AI.","incidentDate":"2025-06-01","incidentKind":"single_event","incidentDatePrecision":"month","exposurePattern":"repeated_interactions","reportedDate":"2026-06-07","aiSystem":"An online advertisement in which likenesses of Emmanuel Macron and Bernard Arnault, described by the regional press, reporting the Pont-à-Mousson police station's warning, as avatars generated with artificial intelligence (a 'deepfake' video, per Le Parisien), promoted a fraudulent investment platform; tool not identified","aiProduct":"Unidentified image and video tool","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["financial_loss"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"A pensioner in Pont-à-Mousson lost at least 10,000 euros (25,000 euros, all her savings, per Le Parisien) to a fraudulent investment platform promoted by an advertisement that the regional press, reporting the police, describe as AI-generated likenesses of Emmanuel Macron and Bernard Arnault.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One person, the pensioner described by the Pont-à-Mousson police station (L'Est Républicain, Le Parisien, Capital). The second complainant in L'Est Républicain lost money to a different fake-adviser fraud without any AI element and is not counted. The 'three to five complaints a week' figure is a general police statement about the fraud type and is not counted. Exact 1.","victimAgeRange":"elderly","jurisdiction":"FR","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"investigation_opened","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.estrepublicain.fr/faits-divers-justice/2026/06/07/escroquee-par-un-faux-macron-genere-par-ia-elle-perd-10-000-dans-des-placements-frauduleux","primarySourceLabel":"L'Est Républicain, 7 June 2026: Escroquée par un faux Emmanuel Macron généré par IA, elle perd 10 000 € dans des placements frauduleux","firstPublishedAt":"2026-10-07T03:30:06.294009+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-10-11T07:44:15.692384+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfake","fake-celebrity-advertisement","investment-fraud","fraud","elderly","france","pont-a-mousson","depicted-or-impersonated"]}]}