Footballing deepfake: how Bruno Fernandes fell victim to an unlicensed betting operator - AOL

Footballing deepfake scams are being used to impersonate active stars, with a new case involving Bruno Fernandes highlighting how unlicensed betting operators exploit identity and AI. The article says illegal online casinos Nightwin and QH88 used fake news articles, photographs and AI-generated video to present Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham and Manchester United’s Fernandes as official partners. For Bellingham, Nightwin reportedly bought Instagram advertising targeting users with a made-up BBC-style story about a “Bellingham Bet,” leading to an app carrying a fake 4.9/5 rating and claims of 1.9m+ downloads. The link then redirected users to a gambling platform unrelated to the player. Israel-based or offshore licensing details are cited: Nightwin is accessible in the UK without a VPN, not appearing on the Great Britain Gambling Commission register, with its sole licensing jurisdiction listed as Curaçao.