PL
HU
EN
Why video works harder than text
A text ad promising "guaranteed profit" triggers a natural distrust in most people. But the same message, spoken by a familiar, trusted face in a professionally edited video, works completely differently. From childhood, the brain learns to treat moving image and voice as stronger proof than the written word alone | and that's exactly what the creators of fake investment ads exploit.
Deepfake technology can create a realistic-looking recording of a well-known person saying things they never actually said. McAfee recorded a three-thousand-percent increase in such incidents in 2024 alone | these are no longer isolated cases, but a tool used at scale by scammers.
What the typical scheme looks like
The ad appears on social media, often precisely targeted at people of a certain age. The video shows a familiar face | a TV presenter, a businessperson, sometimes even a politician | talking about a "unique investment opportunity" that "changed their life". The link under the video leads to a registration page deceptively similar to a real financial platform.
Subtle signs that can give away a fake recording
- Lips don't quite sync with the words being spoken
- Blinking looks unnaturally rare or too regular
- The voice sounds slightly flat, lacking the natural emotion typical of that person
- The recording doesn't appear on any of that person's official channels
Why spotting a deepfake alone isn't enough
Even if you don't notice technical flaws in the recording, the content of the offer itself should raise your guard. No genuine investment guarantees profit, and no well-known person endorses specific financial platforms in ads mass-targeted through social media.
What to do before you click the link under a video like this
- Check whether the recording appears on that person's official, verified profile
- Check the company and domain against your national financial regulator's warning list
- Remember that guaranteed profit is always a sign of fraud, no matter who's promising it
- Discuss the offer with someone close to you before making any decision
How we practise this in the ODYSSEY course
In the "Recognise the scam" module you'll find a simulation of exactly this situation | you practise recognising unrealistic profit promises and checking where a fake video actually leads.