Associated Incidents
An AI-generated scam video featuring journalist Jack Tame and Auckland University diabetes expert Rinki Murphy is circulating online, conning Kiwis into dropping their medication and purchasing fake products.
After seeing the video, which shows her likeness on a TVNZ Q+A show interview telling viewers to "stop taking their diabetes medications and to buy some unheard of product to cure their diabetes", Murphy told The Post she was "horrified".
She first became aware of the scam in April, after being shown the video by a neighbour, and immediately contacted police, NetSafe and Health NZ Te Whatu Ora, among others.
Murphy she had since been contacted by about 50 people about the claims made in the video and she was concerned many more may have already been scammed.
The videos feature her saying "buy this 5 second method", "take this cure for 27 days" or "these pills are NOT sold in pharmacies" or "click here to find out more".
This kind of language should be a major red flag to people, she said, because "real doctors don't talk like that". "We also don't sell products through social media ads."
Murphy said the AI technology involved in these scams was becoming more sophisticated, to the point where it could trick people into believing they were real. The tell-tale signs videos had altered included a lack of synchronisation between the words being spoken and her mouth moving.
Some of the videos are still circulating on social media platforms such as Facebook. Murphy said there were difficulties in getting the videos shut down, because as soon as they were reported and taken down, other versions would pop up.
In a statement, police urged caution when making online purchases. "If a deal seems too good to be true, it is likely the case. If you are unsure, ask your friends or family for their thoughts and get another set of eyes to look at the details."
They warn consumers to never enter bank or card details on suspicious looking websites. Scammers often targeted vulnerable people, police said.
"If you are in the unfortunate position of being a victim of a scam, please report the matter to police and NetSafe."
For more information on scam awareness, visit NetSafe.