Celebrity Deepfakes Fuel Israeli Investment Scams
The New Wave of Deception AI Deepfakes Targeting Israeli Celebrities
A wave of AI-generated online scams featuring deepfakes of well-known Israeli public figures has surfaced in recent weeks, targeting users with fake investment ads on Facebook and Instagram. Among those impersonated are Israel’s Eurovision 2025 contestant Yuval Raphael and model Yael Shelbia, who appear in fabricated videos promoting suspicious stock purchases. Some users have even encountered fake promotional content using the likeness of journalist Guy Rolnik, posts falsely attributed to the Israel Innovation Authority or endorsements seemingly from the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. The scam campaign, according to cybersecurity firms, is believed to originate from Eastern Europe or Turkey. An AI-generated deepfake campaign was reportedly launched using the image of Yael Shelbia, disseminated via social media.
Unmasking the Scammers and the Fight Back
The scam was uncovered by Israeli cybersecurity company AI Light and researchers from FakeReporter, an online disinformation watchdog. Meta, Facebook and Instagram’s parent company, has acknowledged the campaign and says it’s working to combat it.
Growing Concerns The Increasing Sophistication of Deepfake Fraud
“Scammers are creating fake videos of public figures to promote fraudulent investments, exploiting the public’s trust to steal money and personal information,” FakeReporter told Ynet. “The technology behind these videos has become so advanced that they appear increasingly realistic, making average users easy prey.” FakeReporter warned that “the Israeli public is being left unprotected online” and called on Meta to take faster and more effective action against synthetic content. “The government must also step in with legislation and promote digital literacy. In the meantime, we urge the public to report suspicious cases through our website or social media channels.”
Identifying the Fakes Tools and Technologies on the Horizon
Identifying these scams isn’t easy but AI Light has developed a free tool available to the public via WhatsApp. Users can paste any suspicious link into the chatbot, which will analyze the content and indicate whether it’s likely fake. The company also offers verification services on its website.
AI-generated campaign using Yuval Raphael deepfake (Photo: FakeReporter)
AI Light was founded by CEO Maureen Sarnio and CTO Guy Rosenthal. While several other detection tools—such as Deepware, Klarity and Microsoft’s own solutions—are being developed to fight the spread of AI-generated fraud, most are not yet publicly available or free.
Platforms Under Pressure Metas Response and Ongoing Challenges
“Malicious actors continue to evolve their methods to avoid detection, which is why we’re constantly developing new tools to stop them, including facial recognition technologies,” Meta told Ynet. “Impersonating public figures is against our policies and we remove such ads once we’re made aware of them.” However, a cybersecurity expert told Ynet the company’s reactive approach is part of the problem. “Meta profits from these sponsored scams and only intervenes when someone reports them,” the source said. According to Meta, it has removed over 7 million accounts tied to fraud since the start of 2024. Many of these accounts operated out of Myanmar, Laos, the UAE, Cambodia and the Philippines.
Anatomy of a Scam How Fraudsters Lure Victims
The scams often promise quick, risk-free returns on investments in stocks, real estate, crypto or rare metals, and approach targets via email, social media, chat apps or direct messages—sometimes masquerading as “exclusive opportunities” or “coaching groups.”
Fake advertisement on website impersonating Ynet (Photo: FakeReporter)
Stay Safe Protecting Yourself from AI Investment Scams
To avoid falling victim to AI-driven fraud, experts recommend the following:
- Only take investment advice from licensed financial advisors.
- Be wary of red flags, such as guaranteed profits or zero-risk opportunities. If it sounds too good to be true—it probably is.
- Never transfer money to unknown individuals. When using instant payment apps, ensure there’s a way to reverse the transaction if needed. (Scammers often hijack contacts’ accounts to appear more trustworthy.)
- Use common sense: if something feels like a scam, it likely is.
- Always search the name of the company offering a service or product to confirm it’s legitimate.
Even experienced users can fall for convincing scams. The best defense is constant vigilance.
