Investment scams surge: how deepfakes and dodgy finfluencers put your money at risk - Which?

Which? reports a rise in investment scams, warning that deepfakes and “finfluencers” are increasingly targeting people who are taking their first steps into investing. The article highlights the case of a retiree from Yorkshire, Kate (nombre cambiado), who saw an Instagram video allegedly showing Nigel Farage on Question Time with host Fiona Bruce and Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey. The video was later determined to be a deepfake created with AI, but it prompted her to call a phone number and connect with a contact calling themselves “Daniel Neveraski” from Munich at “KnightPips.” Kate says she paid £200 via credit card for currency trading, then was urged to invest in oil as the Iran war supposedly pushed prices higher. She was shown identity checks, including a driving licence and a video selfie, and was told the site was regulated despite not being registered with the FCA, allegedly because it traded in US dollars.