A famous face is telling you to invest. Is it real?

Reviewed by Colin Balfe on Oct 27, 2026 · Updated Oct 27, 2026 · Every fact links to its source
The short answer

Almost certainly a scam: real celebrities and officials don't sell investments in ads, livestreams or private messages.

The check

Answer these honestly. A single "yes" to a warning sign is enough to stop.

  • Is a famous person, or a government official, telling you to invest in a specific platform?New York's Attorney General lists investment requests from celebrities or famous people as a red flag. Real ones don't pitch you directly.
  • Are you being promised guaranteed or very high returns?The FTC says no one can guarantee profits in any investment. Guarantees are a sign of a scam.
  • Have you been asked to move to WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram?Moving the chat to a private app is a classic step in these schemes, flagged by both the FBI and New York's Attorney General.
  • Do they want payment in crypto, or to a wallet or platform you'd never heard of before?Crypto payments don't have the protections that credit and debit cards do, so money sent is very hard to get back.
  • Are you being asked to pay a fee or tax before you can withdraw?The FBI says this is a warning sign. The balance on screen isn't real.
  • Can you find the same announcement on the person's verified, official channels?New York's Attorney General suggests comparing the video with the speaker's verified public appearances. If it's only in an ad or a DM, treat it as fake.

If it's happening right now

Don't send any more money, and don't pay any 'withdrawal fee' or 'tax'. Stop replying, take screenshots of the ad, chats and wallet addresses, then report it. If you've already paid, contact your bank, card company or crypto exchange today.

How this scam works

You see an ad, a 'livestream' or a message in which a famous business leader, celebrity or government official seems to recommend an investment, often crypto.

If you show interest, the conversation moves to WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram, where a 'manager' or 'assistant' takes over.

A website or app shows your money growing, so you're pushed to add more.

When you try to withdraw, you're asked for 'fees' or 'taxes' first, or the contact disappears.

Later, fake 'recovery' services may contact you and try to take even more.

What AI changes

Scammers now use AI to alter real footage so a famous person appears to endorse the scheme; the FBI's 2025 report lists believable videos of public figures and voice clones among the tools, and logged nearly $893 million in losses in AI-related complaints.

What to do, step by step

  1. Stop paying.Not another deposit, fee or 'tax'. The FBI says victims are often asked to pay to withdraw, and the money never comes back.
  2. Save the evidence.Screenshot the video or ad, the account names, the chats, the website address and every payment. The FBI asks for names, contact methods, dates, payment methods and where the money went.
  3. Report the ad or account to the platform.New York's Attorney General urges reporting the fake content to the social media site where it appeared.
  4. If you already paid, act today.Follow the FTC's steps for how you paid: for crypto, contact the exchange or ATM operator and say the transaction was fraudulent; for a bank transfer or wire, ask your bank or the transfer company to reverse it; for a card, call the number on the back. See 'What To Do if You Were Scammed' (FTC).
  5. Ignore anyone offering to recover your money for a fee.The FBI warns that recovery offers are often a second scam, and that the IC3 never asks for payment to recover lost funds.

How big this is

$893 millionlost in 2025 in 22,364 complaints the FBI linked to AI, the first time its annual report had an AI section. It lists fake profiles, voice clones and believable videos of public figures.FBI, Apr 6, 2026
$7.9 billionlost to investment scams reported to the FTC in 2025, the biggest category and about half of all reported fraud losses.FTC testimony to Congress, Mar 25, 2026

Real cases

  • Lagos, Nigeria. Police say a 23-year-old used AI voice cloning and deepfakes to pose as Elon Musk on Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram and X to lure people into a 'Bitcoin Trading Hub'. He was among nine people arrested with help from UK, Canadian and German police. None of them has been tried yet. (Blueprint) The case file → (Blueprint (Nigeria))
  • Osmaniye, Turkey. Police detained eight people, five of whom were jailed pending trial. The group allegedly used AI-generated images and voices of government officials on social media to promote fake investment schemes. (OECD AI Incidents Monitor) The case file → (OECD AI Incidents Monitor)
  • United States. The FBI warned of AI-generated deepfake videos of a senior FBI leader urging scam victims to file complaints on a fake IC3 website. It's a trap for people who have already lost money. (FBI IC3)

Where to report it

Questions people ask

Is Elon Musk (or another billionaire) really giving away crypto or offering an investment?

Treat it as fake. New York's Attorney General says scammers use AI to alter real videos of people like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Warren Buffett so they seem to endorse fake investments, often crypto.

How can I tell if a video is a deepfake?

The FBI suggests watching for distorted features, unnatural movement, odd shadows and voice lag, but good fakes can pass. The safer test is where it appears: a real endorsement would be on the person's verified channels, not only in an ad or a private message.

The platform shows my money growing. Can I get it out?

Usually not. The FBI says victims often can't withdraw and are asked for fees or taxes first. The balance is part of the scam. Stop paying and report it.

Someone says they can recover my lost crypto for a fee. Should I pay?

No. The FBI warns that recovery offers often come from scammers, and that the IC3 never asks for payment to recover funds.

Where do I report a deepfake investment ad?

To the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, the FBI at ic3.gov, and the platform that showed the ad. In New York you can also file with the Attorney General.

Related

Sources

Spot an error or something out of date? Tell us; corrections are made and logged. Written with AI assistance from public sources; every fact checked and approved by Colin Balfe. General information, not legal, medical or financial advice.