
Yo, LA fam, there’s a new scam sizzling hotter than a summer day on Venice Beach, and it’s got two of our biggest stars in the mix. Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez have been dragged into a deepfake disaster, with AI-generated videos popping up all over social media, promising free Le Creuset cookware. These fake ads, spotted on platforms like Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, plus TikTok, are straight-up Hollywood-level trickery.
According to reports from heavy hitters like the New York Times, these videos use tech to swap faces and voices, making it look and sound like Taylor is hyped to give away premium pots and pans for free. Meanwhile, a deepfaked Selena is out there supposedly claiming a warehouse mix-up means fans can snag free sets. It’s the kind of plot twist you’d expect at a Sunset Strip premiere, but this ain’t no blockbuster - it’s a straight-up con.
Here’s the tea: these ads lure you in with links to sites posing as legit outlets like the Food Network. They claim all you gotta pay is a ‘small shipping fee’ of $9.96 to get your hands on that fancy Le Creuset gear. But hold up - once you drop your deets, you’re not getting a single saucepan. Instead, you’re hit with a sneaky $89.95 monthly subscription on top of that so-called shipping cost, per cybersecurity pros at MalwareTips.
It’s the kind of shady move you’d expect from a back-alley deal in Hollywood, not a celeb giveaway. Fans across SoCal and beyond are getting burned, thinking they’re scoring a deal straight from their fave stars. But let’s be real - if Taylor or Selena were handing out kitchen swag, you’d hear it straight from their verified accounts, not some random ad.
“These scams are getting slicker by the day, slipping through even the tightest nets of social media platforms,” said a cybersecurity expert familiar with the case.
Meta, the big boss behind Facebook and Instagram, told the Times they’re not cool with these fraudulent ads and that they violate their policies. Problem is, their review systems often miss the mark ‘cause scammers are cloaking their content like it’s a red carpet disguise. Meta’s even taken legal action against some of these cyber crooks, but the hustle keeps popping up like paparazzi on Melrose.
Over on TikTok, a spokesperson said creators gotta disclose if their content is synthetic or manipulated, and advertisers need consent for any deepfake featuring a public figure. But as AI tech keeps leveling up faster than a Coachella lineup drop, it’s getting harder to spot the fakes. So, here’s the 411: if you don’t see that celeb promo on their official socials or the brand’s page, it’s probably as fake as a Hollywood smile.
Let’s keep it real, fam - AI is fooling us left and right, and it’s only gonna get wilder as the tech evolves. From fake Tom Hanks vids to Mr. Beast scams, celebs are being used to shill stuff they’d never touch. Now, with Taylor and Selena caught in this Le Creuset mess, it’s a reminder to stay sharp, whether you’re scrolling in Santa Monica or chilling in the Valley.
Bottom line: double-check before you click. If that ad ain’t straight from the source, don’t fall for it. Protect your info like it’s VIP access to an Oscars after-party, ‘cause these scammers are out here playing a dirty game in our digital Cali streets.