| ⓘ This advisory is about an ongoing scam campaign containing deepfake video content of senior government officials. The scams are designed to trick you into sharing your personal information or making a payment. |
Threat actors are creating “copycat” versions of local news websites to make their scams look legitimate, and solicit personal information and payments. They use social media websites like Facebook and WhatsApp to post and sponsor graphics and fake videos (also knowns as deepfakes) portraying government officials and media personalities promoting ways to make money through fake investment opportunities and financial assistance programmes.
The posts often appear to come from reputable news outlets. For example, in the latest reported campaign, the scammers claim the Ministry of Finance is offering a financial assistance programme using a website that mimics The Nassau Guardian. In a previous campaign, they purported the Central Bank of The Bahamas was running an investment scheme through a spoofed verison of ZNS’ website.
What’s Happening
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| Affected Platforms |
• Facebook
• WhatsApp
• Other social media sites |
| What this Means |
Scammers are trying to gain your trust and that of your loved ones by impersonating familiar figures and organisations. Once you click their content, they’ll try to get your personal details or payment information. |
What to Look For
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| Signs You May Be at Risk |
You may have encountered this scam if you’ve seen the following.
- Videos of officials or reporters promoting “too-good-to-be-true” financial opportunities, but their speech and facial movements look odd, robotic, or unnatural.
- Posts promising quick money or financial support, often urging you to “act fast” or “sign up now.”
- Website URLs that appear legitimate at first glance, but on closer inspection contain small differences from the official one.
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| Signs You May Be Affected |
- You’ve clicked on a post (particularly relating to an investment scam) and entered personal information or payment details.
- You’ve observed suspicious charges on your bank statement.
- You’ve received unexpected messages or calls asking for further details and offering support or guidance after entering information online.
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What to Do
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| Prevention |
To avoid falling for this scam, take the steps outlined below (not in any particular order).
- Look out for deepfake videos, which often portray people speaking with robotic voice patterns, odd phrases, and unnatural facial movements.
- Verify any offers appearing “too-good-to-be-true” with the source through their official means of contact.
- Avoid clicking suspicious links, especially ones that are strange or have slight variations from trusted, legitimate websites.
- Stay vigilant when entering your personal and/or payment information online.
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| Mitigation |
If you’ve already shared personal and payment information,
- cancel the card used in the transaction, reporting the fraud to your bank immediately;
- report the scam to the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the social media website you saw it on, and to CIRT-BS at [email protected]; and,
- block the account or page that posted the scam.
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Official Information
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- FBI: https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2025/PSA250515
- CIRT-BS: https://www.cirt.bs/new-advisory-fake-investment-scams-using-deepfake-videos/
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Should you require additional information or further support, submit a report on our website or contact us at [email protected]. |
