Deepfake by Chrystia Freeland used in ad promotion investment platform

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A deepfake of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has been used in an ad asking Canadians to sign up for a new investment platform.

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The four-minute video appeared on YouTube on May 29, according to the Canadian Press. The video is in the format of a news report by CBC News in one version distributed online and by CTV News in another. Deepfakes of reporters introducing Freeland and discussing the money-making scheme are also featured in the videos.

A deepfake refers to synthetic content that has been digitally manipulated and is intended to deceive, according to the Canadian Center for Cyber ​​Security.

In the video, a fake Freeland speaks at two press conferences about an “opportunity” for Canadians to make money on a platform that uses “artificial intelligence technologies to automate trading in global financial markets.” There are odd pauses and the voice doesn’t seem to match her movements at times.

Anthony Sutherland, who provides financial advice services, shared the fake ad and wrote about the dangers of deepfakes for his clients in a Facebook post.

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“These deepfakes are highly convincing, using artificial intelligence to mimic the voice and appearance of well-known figures,” he said. “While the video may initially appear legitimate, it contains misleading information designed to defraud unsuspecting individuals.”

Sutherland told online users to protect themselves by verifying the source of a video. He said users should be skeptical of unsolicited offers and watch out for red flags such as “unrealistic promises and pressure to act quickly”.

Sutherland also urged users to report such videos.

Freeland’s videos “are false and present false and misleading information,” Katherine Cuplinskas, deputy director of communications for the Treasury Secretary’s office, told the National Post.

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“The increasing presence of false and misleading information online is worrying. Law enforcement agencies such as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Canadian Center for Cyber ​​Security (CCCS) handle these cases and take them very seriously,” she said in an emailed statement.

“We ask Canadians to remain vigilant when consuming information online and to use judgment when videos and websites appear altered and out of character.”

The first clip of Freeland was likely taken from an actual press conference that took place on April 9, 2024, when he was in Ottawa to announce a youth mental health fund at the National Press Theatre. In the fake video, Freeland is wearing the same white blazer he wore on April 9.

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Targeting Canadians, Freeland’s deepfake promotes a platform created by “the genius of our time, owner of Twitter, SpaceX and Tesla,” referring to Elon Musk.

Musk is never mentioned by name, nor is the platform promoted.

It offers “every smartphone user with internet access the unique opportunity to effortlessly achieve significant economic benefits,” says the finance minister’s deepfake, adding that more than 100,000 Canadians have already been able to quit their jobs because of their success.

Finally, Freeland’s deepfake prompts Canadians to sign up.

“I personally guarantee the safety of your funds and the privacy of your information,” the deepfake says.

In the second clip of Freeland’s deepfake featured in the YouTube ad, the finance minister is seen wearing a black dress with Canadian flags behind her. This video was apparently taken from a press conference held on April 16, 2024, when the federal government unveiled its budget.

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The reporter at the end of CBC fake news tells viewers to click the link below the video to sign up for the project.

Several YouTube channels posted the video, with one reaching more than 39,000 views, before it was removed, the Canadian Press reported.

Deepfakes continue to be a global problem. In a 2023 safety report released by Google in March 2024, the company, which owns YouTube, “blocked or removed 206.5 million ads for violating our misrepresentation policy, which includes many scam tactics and 273, 4 million ads,” in violation of the Financial Services Policy.

Google has since addressed the AI-generated Freeland clips in a statement to Breaker News, a Vancouver-based news site.

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“Protecting our users is our top priority, and we have strict policies governing advertising and content on our platform,” Google told Breaker News in a statement.

“These scams are prohibited and we are shutting down the ad accounts and channels behind them. We invest heavily in detecting and enforcing our policies against fraudulent ads that impersonate public figures and the bad actors behind them.”

This is not the first time a Canadian politician has been targeted. A deepfake of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with an Australian accent has surfaced online promoting a cryptocurrency scam.

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