Deepfake MrBeast ad drains $14,000 from Guelph victim - Cryptonews.net
A Guelph, Ontario woman lost $14,000 after scammers used deepfake technology to impersonate MrBeast and promote a fake crypto investment opportunity.
- Incident date
- May 2026
- Target
- MrBeast
A woman in Guelph, Ontario fell victim to a deepfake scam, losing $14,000 to fraudsters impersonating MrBeast. The incident highlights the increasing sophistication and danger of AI-powered scams.
What happened
The victim encountered a social media ad featuring MrBeast, which promoted a crypto investment. After clicking the ad, she paid an initial fee of $250. The scam escalated when she received a phone call from someone she believed to be MrBeast, who convinced her to deposit an additional $5,000 into a crypto wallet. Her total losses amounted to $14,000. Authorities are warning residents to be skeptical of celebrity endorsements of financial products, especially those involving cryptocurrency.