P.E.I. chef warns about scam video 'deepfake' advertisement circulating on Facebook
A Prince Edward Island chef and TV host is warning people about a fake video advertisement that features him offering hundreds of dollars worth of cookware for free -- in return for credit card details.
Michael Smith says for almost two weeks now a "deepfake" video ad has been circulating on Facebook that features his voice and likeness saying that he and the cookware brand Le Creuset are giving away free $500 sets of cookware to people who submit their credit card information in the next 24 hours.
"Some kind of AI has gotten in there and examined my voice, my videos and it's made me say things that I've never said before," Smith said in an interview Thursday.
The term deepfake refers to the use of artificial intelligence to create video, images or audio that can realistically replicate someone's voice, appearance or movement.
Smith, a former Food Network Canada chef who co-owns The Inn at Bay Fortune in P.E.I., said he's angry that Facebook has not taken down the ad despite repeated requests for it to be removed from both him and Le Creuset.
"I find it unconscionable. Facebook is selling this ad, they are making money and ripping off Canadians ... and the ad is still running," he said. The chef said he has been using his various social media profiles to warn his followers that the video ad is a scam.
Meta, the company that owns Facebook, did not immediately return requests for comment.
It's not the first time in his career that Smith's name or picture has been used against his wishes to promote something, but he said he's never seen anything like this.
"Some people are falling for it. My mother-in-law got all the way through to the point where it was time to put in her credit card, and that's my own mother-in-law," Smith said.
"I've worked my whole career to be an authentic voice for my food, my family and my community. And then along comes this, which crashes right into that."
Smith is not the only notable figure to have their likeness hijacked in deceptive ads on Facebook. Media reported earlier this year that a deepfake video of Taylor Swift was used in another purported Le Creuset giveaway, and a deepfake video of Oprah Winfrey promoting an influencer's self-help course also circulated on Facebook.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 25, 2024.
-- By Lyndsay Armstrong in Halifax.
For more Prince Edward Island news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.