Ontario man loses $12K to deepfake scam involving Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
A Toronto man is out $12,000 after falling victim to a deepfake cryptocurrency scam that appeared to involve Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
"It had Justin Trudeau endorsing it, so I thought, ‘Well this has to be good,’” said Stephen Henry of Toronto.
Last November, Henry said he saw a YouTube video where it appeared the prime minister was recommending a cryptocurrency exchange.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
In the video, manipulated by AI and voice cloning, Trudeau appears to say, “We have developed an investment platform that we believe can help every Canadian safeguard their financial future even during periods of inflation.”
Based on the video, Henry decided to invest.
"I thought, 'It's got to be legitimate, it's got to be perfect. If not, how could you get the prime minister?' So I thought, 'It’s got to be official,'" said Henry.
Henry contacted the website recommended in the YouTube video and was subsequently advised to start investing with $250.
When it seemed his investments were going up, he was advised to keep putting in more money, and it appeared his account had grown to over $40,000. But Henry couldn’t take the money out, and it turned out he was scammed out of $12,000.
“When I tried to get something back, it's the hardest process in the world," said Henry.
Press Secretary for the Prime Minister’s Office Jenna Ghassbeh confirmed to CTV News Toronto that the PMO has seen “how malicious accounts and users can proliferate falsehoods.”
“The amount of deceptive, fake and misleading information and accounts targeting elected officials is increasingly concerning and unacceptable, particularly in an era with deepfake technology,” Ghassbeh said.
A survey by cybersecurity company Okta, which focuses on identity management and avoiding security breaches, found that 75 per cent of Canadians fear their identity could be stolen due to advancements in AI and only 20 per cent are confident they can recognize AI attempts to compromise their information.
Country manager for Okta Dan Kagan said people need to do more to educate themselves on AI and cybersecurity.
"If you're not up on this cyber intelligence and you go about your day, and you’re aloof as to what's going on behind the scene, or as I say behind the screens, then you need to do more to keep your data safe and secure,” said Kagan. “I think AI is here to stay and it's going to be more complex, which is why we as Canadians need to make sure we are fundamentally secure about what we are putting on the internet."
Henry was shocked to find out the videos were doctored using artificial intelligence and said, “So you're saying all of that was AI? All I can say is, 'Wow.'”
The $12,000 he used came out of his savings, which he set aside in hopes of finding a better place to live.
"Now, I’m ripped off of all my chances of ever making a life. That was all the money I had,” said Henry.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Here's where Canadians are living abroad: report
A recent report sheds light on Canadians living abroad--estimated at around four million people in 2016—and the public policies that impact them.
'We are declaring our readiness': No decision made yet as Poland declares it's ready to host nuclear weapons
Polish President Andrzej Duda says while no decision has been made around whether Poland will host nuclear weapons as part of an expansion of the NATO alliance’s nuclear sharing program, his country is willing and prepared to do so.
Harvey Weinstein hospitalized after return to New York from upstate prison
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer said Saturday that the onetime movie mogul has been hospitalized for a battery of tests after his return to New York City following an appeals court ruling nullifying his 2020 rape conviction.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Central Alberta queer groups react to request from Red Deer-South to reinstate Jennifer Johnson to UCP caucus
A number of LGBQT+2s groups in Central Alberta are pushing back against a request from the Red Deer South UCP constituency to reinstate MLA Jennifer Johnson into the UCP caucus.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.