Kylie Jenner, Taylor Swift, and Sydney Sweeney are among the Top 10 artists whose influence has been exploited for online scams.
Top 10 Famous Victims
Security software company McAfee recently released a list of the 10 celebrities most exploited by hackers for online scams in 2024. According to McAfee, these are influencers whose names and images have been faked and used for illegal activities without their consent. The top 10 announced by McAfee include
Scarlett Johansson : The Black Widow star’s name and likenesshave been used for advertisements and endorsements without her permission. Johansson is one of several actors who have spoken out against non-consensual AI- generated content. The actress has vowed to take legal action against OpenAI for allegedly copying and imitating her voice.
Kylie Jenner : A fake Kylie Cosmetics website used Jenner’s image to promote products. Her name and photo have also been used in social media giveaway scams.
Taylor Swift : The singer’s image has been illegally used for advertising, ticket scams, and giveaways. Taylor Swift was also accused of political propaganda when former US President Donald Trump shared a series of AI-generated photos showing Swifties supporting him.
Anya Taylor-Joy : The Furiosa star’s name and imagewere used in a giveaway scam, and her X (Twitter) account was hacked to spread fake news about the Queen’s Gambit (2020)sequel
Tom Hanks : The Oscar-winning actor has had his image used in advertisements for “miracle cures and miracle drugs.”
Sabrina Carpenter : The Espresso singerwhose name and image were used illegally in a fake ticket scam and to promote a pornographic image-generating app.
Sydney Sweeney : Sweeney’s name and image have been used in cryptocurrency-related scams.
Blake Lively : The It Ends With Us star’s namewas used to advertise weight loss gummies.
Johnny Depp : The “Pirates of the Caribbean” actor’s image is being illegally used in gift-giving, cryptocurrency and fundraising scams.
Addison Rae: Rae’s name and image have been used for fake testimonials, giveaways, and cryptocurrency scams.
Impact on fans and artists
Online scams not only cause financial and personal damage to users, but the consequences are far-reaching. For fans, McAfee said people can lose anywhere from a few hundred dollars to more than half a million dollars (about 12 billion VND) for each click on a strange link.
Scammers also sometimes use deepfake videos impersonating artists , in an attempt to get fans’ bank account information or install malware on their devices, which can lead to identity theft.
In addition to financial risks, victims often feel mentally insulted after being involved in an illegal activity, especially when the scammer uses the image of their idol.
For celebrities, these scams can have serious consequences for their public image and reputation. Many stars, including Scarlett Johansson, have taken a strong stance against the unauthorized use of their likeness in AI-generated content.
The Black Widow actress has publicly expressed that this is not just an issue of personal privacy but also the broader impacts of AI and “the need for accountability in the tech world.”
Deepfake – hackers’ new “powerful” tool
Deepfake is a term that combines ” deep learning ” and ” fake ,” referring to the use of artificial intelligence to create fake videos or images that look extremely realistic. This technology allows users to superimpose one person’s face onto another person’s body in a video, or create videos that fake a person’s voice and expressions.
