Be wary of phony Steven Bartlett videos as they could cost you thousands of dollars

Despite scammers' attempts to take advantage of the chaos caused by the Trump tariffs, Terry Tanaka advises being aware of the warning signs to avoid losing thousands of pounds

I was drawn in by the statement "new investment opportunities have arrived" when I saw a video on Instagram that seemed to feature Steven Bartlett.

The video's invitation to an exclusive WhatsApp group made my eyes pop open. The phony figure in the video, who bore a striking resemblance to Bartlett, claimed to be releasing his most recent stock recommendations, which would increase by 35% in just seven days.

It's not uncommon for well-known figures to persuade people to purchase particular stocks, and Bartlett is well-known for his well-liked podcast Diary of a CEO and his role as an investor on BBC's Dragons Den. For a brief moment, I wondered why he would do this, why he was offering stock recommendations and promises of enormous returns.

However, I later discovered it was a scam using a phony AI-generated video where "Bartlett" appears to be very at ease while urging people to join his WhatApp trading group in order to profit from stock market opportunities following Trump's tariffs.

Scammers don't waste any time in exploiting people's fear or greed. In this instance, they wish to capitalize on the fact that buyers will be searching for chances to purchase in a declining market.

The video is an AI-generated clip that has nothing to do with Bartlett, just to be clear.

It's a scam. His team informed me that they were working with the platforms to have the accounts blocked and the content taken down.

Would you be duped by an investment scammer?

Users have recognized the possibility that the scam post is a fake video, despite the fact that it looks remarkably realistic. However, regrettably, some people might click on the link. After that, scammers will question them and attempt to obtain their contact information.

It is sufficient for the scammers if one person falls for it out of the thousands who do not. The victim may find themselves the target of repeated attacks after disclosing their contact information, as scammers hope that they will eventually fall for the ruse and give them money.

The number of investment scams is increasing; in the first half of 2024, scammers took over 56 million dollars from savers. Social media campaigns and phony celebrity endorsements were among the frequently employed strategies.

The technology is obviously not catching everything, even though Meta has stated that it is cracking down on videos of celebrity scams and fake accounts.

How to identify phony AI videos.

Fake videos are becoming more difficult to spot as con artists and the technology they employ become more sophisticated. But I think there are a few things that reveal it.

Examine the video closely for these indications in addition to the typical ones of typos and overly dramatic content that gives the impression of urgency.

There will be misalignments in the words and the movement of the chin and lips due to facial and lip syncing. Blinking: Does the person in the video blink normally? Does the background appear natural? Who is posting the video? What are they saying? Is the message out of character? I have chosen not to share the videos I have seen because I do not want them to be shared, but please report any suspicious clips you come across.

Take a step back and do some research if you're not sure. Scams involving investments have the potential to deplete your life savings and leave you thousands out of pocket. Recall that investing is not a quick-money scheme, and anyone who makes such a claim is probably out to get you. Don't get hurt!

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