Sky News Reporters Used in Deepfake Scam for Gambling App

_{Sky News reporter Matt Barbet was digitally altered using AI to promote an unregulated gambling app, with his likeness speaking in an Australian accent. (Image: @MattBarbet)}

Two Sky News reporters have spoken about being deepfaked with AI technologies for the benefit of unregulated gambling site apps.  

Deepfake technology was used to manipulate the two news presenters to lend credibility to the false claims for an app, ‘Heavenly Sphere which redirects users to unlicensed online casinos. 

In a news video on social media, science and tech reporter Mickey Caroll was deepfaked having a conversation with news reporter Matt Barbet, who spoke in an Australian accent, despite being from North Wales. Mickey had become ‘Olivia’, who had apparently won £500,000 on a mobile game and bought her dream car.   

Reporters Watched Their Faked Images Selling the Gambling App to Consumers

Reporting on the incident on the Sky News, Mickey Caroll said, “For several minutes, Matt, myself and a fake version of Apple chief executive Tim Cook tried to convince viewers to download a mobile game called Heavenly Sphere.”

Deep Matt reported: "We contacted Olivia; she's already won £500,000 in a week."  

"Olivia, how did you manage to win such a large amount?" he asked. 

"It's very simple, I downloaded the app and started playing," the deepfake version of myself replied. 

Footage of Celebrities and Journalists Used to Scam Consumers in Deep-Fake Videos

Caroll said that the video was taken from a chat she’d had with Matt on Sky News a few months ago about a lawsuit Apple was facing. 

She said, “But somewhere in the world, scammers were feeding the conversation into an AI generator, which alters real videos and gives them different scripts, voices or visuals.” 

Dr Siwei Lyu, a professor at the University of Buffalo and an expert in deepfake technology, said, "We think these videos were created by editing and merging lip-synced footage mixed with some real news scenes.  

"All three faces in the video are lip-synced using AI models."   

Deepfake AI Videos Can Lead to Mistrust in Media

The item served to undermine trust in media and can have broader implications regarding misinformation. The use of trustworthy personalities like the Sky News reporters in deepfakes can exploit psychological tendencies. Individuals may feel more inclined to follow recommendations from "trusted voices," leading to potentially harmful behaviours, such as downloading unregulated apps. 

These journalists, featured from newsrooms worldwide and including more Sky News faces like presenter Sarah-Jane Mee, appeared to encourage people to download dozens of similar-looking gaming apps. 

Meta said that these videos violate its policies and it removes this content when it's found. 

Consumers Directed to Unregulated Gambling Sites   

Instead of child-friendly games, users were taken to the homepages of unlicensed casinos that are banned from operating in the UK. Although some said they were blocked for UK users, many were completely open. 

There, they could play online slot games and roulette, as well as bet on sporting events. There were no age verification or identity checks, no guarantees that players' money or details would be protected, and they weren't labelled with the required warnings. 

The rapid evolution of AI technologies outpaces current regulatory frameworks, making it challenging for authorities to effectively monitor and regulate malicious uses of AI. 

Sky News said: “When we flagged the problem, the Gambling Commission took immediate action, removing the websites linked to the casinos and contacting Apple to remove the apps. The regulator's chief executive told us he was concerned for people's safety.” 

"If you're gambling at an illegal casino, there's no protection for you," said Andrew Rhodes, chief executive of the Gambling Commission. 

As noted in the rise of social influencers driving consumers to black market online gambling sites, scammers are increasingly targeting specific demographics by leveraging familiar faces. 

This trend could disproportionately affect vulnerable individuals, such as those experiencing financial difficulties or addiction issues.  

By promoting illegal gambling through seemingly credible endorsements, there is a heightened risk of drawing individuals into gambling activities they might not otherwise consider, thus impacting their financial stability and mental health.