New fake Taylor Swift TikTok scam reveals scary reality of AI deepfakes - Creative Bloq

In May 2026, a new deepfake scam emerged on TikTok, leveraging the likeness of Taylor Swift to promote a fraudulent get-rich-quick scheme. This incident underscores the growing threat and sophistication of AI-generated content used for malicious purposes.

What happened

The scam involved sponsored videos featuring deepfake likenesses of celebrities, including Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and Rihanna. These videos promoted 'TikTok Pay,' promising easy money in exchange for providing feedback on videos. The deepfakes used content taken from interviews and red carpet appearances, overlaid with the TikTok logo to appear authentic. Despite the soulless cadence and imperfect visuals, heavy glitch-effect filtering helped mask the uncanniness, leading some users to share personal information while signing up for the scheme. This incident is not isolated, as similar deepfake videos of Taylor Swift promoting other products for data collection have surfaced in the past.