Deepfake CEO fraud
Business-email-compromise with a voice attached. In these incidents an attacker cloned a senior executive — usually a CEO or CFO — to authorise a transfer, approve an invoice, or redirect payroll. Each entry links its primary sources.
79 documented incidents, newest first.
2026· 53 incidents
September 2026
·2- mixedunnamed victim
Singapore is piloting a common prefix for government calls to combat deepfake impersonation scams following a case that resulted in S$5 million in losses
- audiounnamed firm
An unnamed firm lost Sh3.33 billion in a sophisticated financial fraud incident involving AI-generated deepfake technology as reported in September 2026
August 2026
·19- videoKharg Island
President Donald Trump shared an AI-generated video falsely claiming that the Iranian energy hub of Kharg Island had been destroyed
- videoMirza Rahmath Baig
AIMIM expelled MLC Mirza Rahmath Baig following an alleged video leak controversy that the politician claims is a deepfake created for political extortion
- audioGideon Smith
Meta and TikTok removed an AI-generated persona named Gideon Smith that amassed thousands of followers to spread anti-Israel propaganda and antisemitic
- audioMadonna
Australia has implemented new rules banning fully AI-generated songs from its official music charts to protect human artistry in the industry
- audioJosh Fawaz
Australia has implemented new regulations requiring music to be substantially human-made following controversy over an AI-assisted chart-topping cover
- mixedArup
The Arup deepfake incident highlights how attackers combine spoofed emails with real-time video call impersonation to bypass traditional verification
- imageJoe Biden
Donald Trump shared an AI-generated image on Truth Social depicting himself pulling the Keystone pipeline from the ground near a tombstone labeled Buried
- videoRebecca Cooke
Congressman Derrick Van Orden has been posting AI-generated deepfake videos of his opponent Rebecca Cooke during a competitive Wisconsin congressional race
- videoAntonio Inoki
New Japan Pro-Wrestling utilized an AI-generated video message featuring the late founder Antonio Inoki during their G1 Climax 36 event
- videoSP Oswal
Digital arrest scams use AI-driven deepfakes and psychological isolation to impersonate law enforcement and defraud victims of millions in illicit transfers.
- mixedGavin Newsom, Xavier Becerra, Thomas Massie, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Kathy Hochul, Spencer Pratt, Karen Bass
Rising use of AI-generated content in 2026 political campaigns has prompted California lawmakers and federal officials to pursue stricter regulations on
- imageIrakli Kobakhidze
Myth Detector uncovered a network of 230 AI-generated Facebook accounts coordinating to support the Georgian Dream party and Chairman Irakli Kobakhidze
- imageGeorgian Dream party
An investigation by Myth Detector identified a network of 230 AI-generated Facebook accounts coordinating to promote narratives for the Georgian Dream party
- videoSteve Ehlmann and Bill Eigel
A St. Charles County executive is pushing for AI campaign regulations after his opponent used a deepfake video to portray him making false statements
- videoKathy Hochul, Zohran Mamdani
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman faces an ethics complaint for allegedly using undisclosed AI-generated deepfakes in political advertisements
- mixedunnamed CFO
A CFO avoided a seven-figure wire fraud attempt after identifying a deepfake video call through a subtle hesitation during a verification question
- audioPoint72 Asset Management, Millennium Management, Two Sigma Investments, Citadel
Major global hedge funds including Point72 and Citadel faced a wave of AI-driven voice phishing attacks designed to gain unauthorized system access
- audioCitadel, Point72 Asset Management, Two Sigma Investments, and Millennium Management
On August 5, 2026, major Wall Street hedge funds were targeted by a coordinated AI-powered voice-phishing campaign that utilized voice cloning to deceive
- audioPoint72, Citadel, Millennium Management, and Two Sigma
In August 2026, major hedge funds including Point72 and Citadel were targeted by a wave of AI-powered voice phishing attacks using cloned executive voices
July 2026
·16- mixedGisele Bundchen, Angelica, Juliette, Sabrina Sato, Drauzio Varella, Pedro Moreira Salles, Brad Pitt, Sergio Moro
Brazil's data protection authority published a technical report detailing how deepfake technology is being used to conduct large-scale financial fraud and
- audioMadonna
Australian producer Josh Fawaz faces scrutiny after his AI-assisted cover of Madonnas Like a Prayer achieved significant commercial success on national
- videoDY Chandrachud
India's Supreme Court has urged the government to criminalize digital arrest scams and deepfake fraud following billions in losses to citizens
- audioFaye Dicker
UK-based voice-over artist Faye Dicker reported that her voice was cloned and sold on the Fish Audio platform without her consent
- videoNisos
Nisos Chief People Officer Magen Gicinto details an incident where a North Korean operative used deepfake technology to pose as a job candidate during a
- mixedSteve Ehlmann, Bill Eigel, Thomas Massie, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar
Political campaigns are increasingly utilizing AI-generated deepfake advertisements to smear opponents and influence voters in local and congressional races
- audioBenedetto Vigna
A Ferrari executive successfully thwarted a sophisticated deepfake impersonation attempt targeting CEO Benedetto Vigna by using a verification question.
- videoSteve Ehlmann and Bill Eigel
A St. Charles County political campaign utilized AI-generated imagery to depict opposing candidates in a viral advertisement, sparking local debate on
- mixedUnidentified multinational company
A Texas dealership lost nearly $1 million after scammers posing as bank employees convinced executives to initiate 12 unauthorized wire transfers within
- videoNeal K. Shah
Meta discontinued an AI image generation tool after public backlash regarding the unauthorized use of public Instagram accounts and reports of identity fraud
- mixedKathy Hochul
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman released a 60-second political advertisement featuring an AI-generated facsimile of Governor Kathy Hochul
- imagePaul Thwaite
NatWest CEO Paul Thwaite is the latest high-profile banking figure targeted by a fraudulent deepfake image circulating on social media
- mixedConor McGregor
The UFC faces ongoing backlash from fans and fighters for using AI-generated promotional content and distorted imagery to market Conor McGregor return at
- videounnamed UK firm
An unnamed UK firm suffered a $25 million loss after an employee was deceived by an AI-generated video call impersonating company leadership
- mixedArup
The 2024 Arup deepfake incident highlights the rising danger of AI-driven corporate fraud where synthetic video and audio are used to bypass verification.
- mixedAmerican Founding Fathers
The Freedom 250 organization has utilized generative AI to create uniform and often historically inaccurate portraits of American Founding Fathers for the.
June 2026
·12- audioan entrepreneur from the canton of Schwyz
An entrepreneur in the Swiss canton of Schwyz was defrauded of several million Swiss francs after being targeted by a sophisticated voice cloning attack
- videoJim Browning
Scam hunter Jim Browning exposed a real-time deepfake identity attack by using a simple three-finger test to force the AI overlay to glitch and fail
- videoGadi Eisenkot
Yashar Party leader Gadi Eisenkot filed a petition against Bezalel Smotrich regarding an AI-generated video that falsely portrayed his political stances
- mixedGeorge Washington
An AI-powered George Washington portrait featured on PragerU mobile museum trucks faces scrutiny over historical inaccuracies and scripted monologues
- videoJensen Huang
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan discusses the platform's strategy to combat AI-generated deepfakes and spam while supporting legitimate creator tools
- audioMarco Rubio, Joe Biden, Susie Wiles
SOC executive Shawn Roslin warns of rising national security threats from AI-generated deepfakes used to impersonate officials and spread misinformation
- videoNeymar Jr.
Brazilian soccer star Neymar Jr. has partnered with FlareFlow to feature his licensed digital likeness in 16 AI-generated microdramas debuting during the 2026.
- imageEric Trump
Eric Trump denounced AI-generated screenshots of a fabricated conversation with UFC commentator Daniel Cormier regarding the integrity of a White House event
- audiounnamed finance clerk
An unnamed finance clerk was targeted by a sophisticated voice cloning attack where an AI-generated clone of the CEO demanded an urgent seven-figure wire.
- imageElijah Timmins-Scanlon
New Zealand model Elijah Timmins-Scanlon sparked a public dispute after accusing the fashion brand Huffer of using AI-generated images that resembled him
- mixedArup and Ferrari
Rising deepfake attacks against firms like Arup and Ferrari highlight how cyber criminals are increasingly exploiting employee trust over technical system.
- videoGeorge Washington
Six AI-generated George Washington avatars are touring the US in Freedom Trucks to promote a specific historical narrative as part of the nation's 250th.
February 2026
·12025· 4 incidents
2024· 22 incidents
August 2024
·3- audioMadonna
The Australian Recording Industry Association has implemented new rules to exclude wholly AI-generated music from official charts to protect human artistry
- imageDonald Trump
Donald Trump faces backlash from veterans and critics after sharing an AI-generated image on Truth Social depicting himself as a decorated four-star
- mixedCEOs and executive team members of multiple enterprises
Between August 3 and 5 2024 threat actors launched a massive campaign impersonating CEOs to trick finance departments into processing fraudulent ACH payments
July 2024
·6- mixedNitin Gadkari
Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has filed an 11-crore rupee lawsuit against major social media platforms over defamatory deepfakes linking him to
- audioFerrari (Ferrari N.V.)
An attacker tried to impersonate Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna on a WhatsApp call to a senior executive.
- videoKathy Hochul, Zohran Mamdani
New York Democrats filed an election complaint against Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman over the use of AI-generated content in his campaign ads
- audioMadonna
The Australian Recording Industry Association has implemented new rules banning fully AI-generated songs from its official charts to protect human artistry
- audioMadonna
The Australian Recording Industry Association has updated its charts policy to exclude music created primarily by artificial intelligence following
- audioJosh Fawaz
Australia’s recording industry association ARIA has updated its chart rules to exclude tracks predominantly or entirely created by artificial intelligence
May 2024
·4- imageAnsel Adams
A New York gallery displayed an AI-generated 'colorized' version of Ansel Adams's iconic 'Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico' (1941), sparking debate about AI's.
- mixedWPP (world's largest advertising group)
Attackers cloned the voice and face of WPP CEO Mark Read to try to launch a fake company on a WhatsApp video call.
- audioMadonna
The Australian Recording Industry Association has banned AI-generated songs from its official charts to protect human artistry following a viral Madonna cover
- audioScarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson challenged OpenAI after the company released a ChatGPT voice that closely resembled her own despite her declining two requests to
April 2024
·2- audioThurgood Marshall
Syracuse officials navigate ethical concerns after a local board chair used artificial intelligence to generate legal documents in the style of Thurgood
- audioKarim Toubba
In April 2024, attackers targeted LastPass employees using audio deepfakes impersonating CEO Karim Toubba to create manufactured urgency
January 2024
·4- mixedunnamed finance officer
A Hong Kong finance officer was defrauded of 200 million Hong Kong dollars after attending a video conference featuring deepfake versions of company
- audioan unnamed bank CEO
An analysis of the security and privacy risks associated with AI voice cloning platforms following a major 2024 deepfake fraud incident
- mixedCFO of a Hong Kong finance company
Real-time AI deepfakes now enable sophisticated live impersonations on streaming platforms and video calls that risk financial loss and disinformation
- mixedan unnamed multinational company finance employee
A 2024 deepfake incident in Hong Kong saw a finance employee transfer $25 million after being deceived by AI-generated video and audio of senior executives