P.E.I. chef warns about scam video ‘deepfake’ advertisement circulating on Facebook

By The Canadian Press on April 25, 2024.

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 there is a “deepfake” video ad of him on Facebook asking people for their credit card info in exchange for a free Le Creuset set worth $500.

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, says 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.

The chef says it’s unacceptable that Facebook appears to be getting paid to run an advertisement potentially scamming Canadians.

Smith says it’s not the first time in his career his name or picture has been used against his wishes to promote something, but 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 says.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 25, 2024.