Kazakhstan Prosecutor General warns of 119 trading scams using celebrity deepfakes
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Kazakhstan's Prosecutor General's Office reported 119 fraud cases over the past six weeks involving fake investment schemes promoted through deepfake videos of celebrities. A Taldykorgan resident lost more than 7 million tenge after responding to an Instagram advertisement for stock trading. The office urged citizens to avoid guaranteed high-return offers and to verify investment projects before transferring money.
Key Facts
- Kazakhstan's Prosecutor General's Office registered 119 fraud cases over the past six weeks involving fake investment schemes promoted through deepfake videos of celebrities.
- A Taldykorgan resident lost more than 7 million tenge after responding to an Instagram advertisement for stock trading and transferring money to third-party accounts.
- Fraudsters used fake AI platforms named Kaspi AI with Mikhail Lomtadze, Quantum AI with Elon Musk, and TON with Pavel Durov, as well as fake investment offers in KazMunayGas and Gazprom.
- The Prosecutor General's Office advised citizens not to trust offers of guaranteed high returns, to verify investment projects, and to never share bank card details or SMS codes.
Fraud Scheme Mechanics
Fraudsters used TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and other internet platforms to advertise non-existent investment projects. They created deepfake videos featuring celebrities and fake AI platforms promising extremely high passive income. Examples included Kaspi AI with Mikhail Lomtadze, Quantum AI with Elon Musk, TON with Pavel Durov, and fake investment offers in KazMunayGas or Gazprom with well-known news anchors from Khabar24, KTK, and Channel One. The Prosecutor General's Office stated that the mention of famous people and companies does not mean they are connected to such advertising.
Taldykorgan Victim Case
In September, a Taldykorgan resident filed a complaint of fraud on a particularly large scale. While browsing Instagram, she saw an advertisement offering super profits through trading, clicked the link, and left her personal and contact details. Fraudsters later contacted her and instructed her to transfer more than 7 million tenge to accounts of third parties. The transferred money and supposedly accrued dividends were displayed in a fake electronic wallet, but she could not withdraw the funds. A pre-trial investigation is underway on the fraud case.