Google and Facebook’s inaction fuels deepfake fraud

Australian TV presenter and journalist Eddie McGuire’s likeness was used in a deepfake scam that swindled $500,000, exposing how Google and Facebook continue to profit while users fall victim to unchecked fraud.

After an Australian couple was scammed out of 500,000 Australian dollars of investment money by an uncannily realistic deepfake of Eddie McGuire, a deeper discussion around the event widened.

John and Gail Young clicked on a Google ad featuring Eddie McGuire’s trusted image, which directed them to a fraudulent investment opportunity. They initially invested 20,000 Australian Dollars, but the scam snowballed, and over time, they ended up putting in half a million dollars.

After the Young family then tried to withdraw their earnings, the scammer disappeared without a trace. No arrests have been made.

In an effort to combat such a heinous act, McGuire himself has gone on the rampage recently on TV, warning the Australian public about these scams.

McGuire noted this wasn’t the first time his likeness had been used fraudulently – previous scam ads on Facebook also misrepresented him

Deepfake, deeper pain

The deepfake scam is part of a wider trend of increasing online fraud, driven by both technological advances and the vulnerabilities of unsuspecting individuals.

What is unique about this particular example is that the celebrity himself has helped to raise awareness by calling out big tech, highlighting that they should do more to tame the deepfake fire.

McGuire singled out Google and claimed that they should know better, especially considering their valuation of almost two trillion dollars.

Additionally, McGuire had previously sent correspondence to Mark Zuckerberg at Meta, The Daily Mail for Australia reported – but unfortunately he hasn’t responded.

Turning a blind eye

Both Google and Facebook have faced mounting scrutiny over the spread of fraudulent ads.

Despite these platforms' advanced algorithms, scam ads can lurk below the surface, are frequently ignored, and are therefore quite often removed reactively after a victim has reported a crime.

If such crimes become more commonplace, and without proactive measures from big tech platforms, then public trust will erode further.

According to Scamwatch, a public body, Australians lost $2 billion to online scams in 2024, a decrease of 25% from the previous year due to increased awareness and crackdowns.

This proves that public awareness is improving at the national level. However, despite this, incidents like Young’s turbulent time should be made more widely known.