Description: A purported deepfake video of entrepreneur and BBC Dragon's Den investor Steven Bartlett circulated on Instagram in April 2025, allegedly claiming to offer exclusive stock tips and inviting users to join a WhatsApp trading group. The reported video referenced U.S. tariff policies to entice viewers with promises of rapid returns. Bartlett's team confirmed the video was fake and worked with platforms to remove it, warning that scammers were attempting to harvest contact details for further fraud.
Editor Notes: Timeline note: This scam was first reported in MoneyWeek on 04/23/2025, which is the date that this incident ID takes. It was added to the database on 10/19/2025.
Entities
View all entitiesAlleged: Unknown voice cloning technology developer and Unknown deepfake technology developer developed an AI system deployed by Unknown scammers impersonating Steven Bartlett , Unknown scammers and Unknown fraudsters, which harmed Steven Bartlett , Investors , General public and Fans of Steven Bartlett.
Alleged implicated AI systems: WhatsApp , Unknown voice cloning technology , Unknown deepfake technology and Social media
Incident Stats
Incident ID
1239
Report Count
1
Incident Date
2025-04-23
Editors
Daniel Atherton
Incident Reports
Reports Timeline
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When I came across a video on Instagram which appeared to feature Steven Bartlett, I stopped to watch -- taken in by the wording "new investment opportunities have arrived".
My eyes popped open when I realised the video was inviting users t…
Variants
A "variant" is an AI incident similar to a known case—it has the same causes, harms, and AI system. Instead of listing it separately, we group it under the first reported incident. Unlike other incidents, variants do not need to have been reported outside the AIID. Learn more from the research paper.
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