Scams that are made possible through AI have been rampant on social media, and users are seeing on TikTok and Facebook fake Snoop Dogg and President Joe Biden ads in schemes to collect information.
As Newsweek reports, an AI-generated Snoop Dogg ad falsely endorsing a $6,400 spending card subsidy for Social Security recipients is going viral.
“The U.S. is sending everyone a free $6,400 right now,” the AI Snoop Dogg said in a Facebook video, Newsweek reported. “You get this payout in under 48 hours and it’s completely free. Hit that ATM up, get that car you want, take your wifey on a shopping spree or just save it.”
When individuals click on the provided link, they won’t be connecting with a legitimate U.S. government representative or receive any additional funds. Rather, they may be prompted to divulge personal information, potentially enabling scammers to commit identity theft or siphon money from their bank accounts.
“One thing that makes scams like this seem more plausible to victims is the fact that we are coming off an unprecedented period during the pandemic in which the government created novel ways to get money into people’s hands,” Troy Janes, an accounting professor at Purdue University, told Newsweek. “That may make people less suspicious when seeing this offer.”
According to the FTC, since 2021, one in four have reported losing money due to fraud on social media. The money lost from social media scams has amassed $2.7 billion, and scammers are looking for a new, innovative way to contact people.
In 2022, senior citizens collectively lost $3.1 billion to scammers last year, according to the FBI’s crime report.
As Finruah previously reported, Snoop Dogg, whose net worth is estimated to be $150 million, has many corporate partnerships. The idea of Snoop Dogg being a sponsor for a government-backed program is within the scope of reality.
Other Scams Using Snoop
This is not the first time a Snoop Dogg AI-generated voice message was created to scam people. On Sept. 14, the Long Beach businessman was part of another disinformation campaign to trick business owners with COVID-19 pandemic relief via a website called ERCEnroll.com
“If you owe $10,000 on your credit card, look, you can qualify for a program and get you thousands of your dollars back by making a 15-minute phone call,” another fake Snoop Dogg says on a TikTok ad.
The Employee Retention Credit or Employee Retention Tax Credit is a tax credit that businesses and tax-exempt organizations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic can receive. The credit is refundable, and its application is on the official IRS.gov website.
Multiple fake live streams are circulating on Facebook where someone is impersonating Snoop Dogg and falsely offering cash giveaways to viewers. One TikTok user has pointed out the irony of two fake Snoop Dogg live streams, both streaming from different locations simultaneously.
“As a reminder, anyone who incorrectly claims the credit has to pay it back and may owe penalties and interest. The only way to claim the ERC is on a federal employment tax return,” according to the IRS. “The ads are all over radio, TV, and social media. You may even get ads that look like official government letters, or texts, emails, and phone calls advertising ERC eligibility.”
