The evolution of Deepfake Scams has reached a new level of refinement due to the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), making fraudulent schemes increasingly persuasive and difficult to detect. A recent example involves President Donald Trump circulating X, attempting to lure unsuspecting individuals into cryptocurrency scams.
AI-generated Trump, Musk and Butarin videos spread across X, promoting crypto fraud
Generic AI is driving groundbreaking advancements, but it has also amplified the threat of deepfark fraud. With the widespread availability and cost reduction of generative AI tools, these technologies are placed within range even the most underfunded con artists, allowing them to produce surprisingly realistic counterfeit media with minimal effort.
In the past, digital deceptions relied on manipulated images and manufactured websites. Nowadays, hyperreal videos featuring voices that are barely indistinguishable from the real thing, are moving across the internet, raising the challenge of separating facts from fiction.
Although scam websites are not linked in this article, the X accounts behind these fraudulent schemes are very realistic. We strongly recommend that you avoid being involved in these X accounts or the websites they advertise. A quick visit to one of these unauthorized sites can have unintended and potentially harmful consequences.
The specific fake video shared this week was featured in an interview with Maria Baltiromo. Ai-Calted’s Trump, an artificially generated, seemingly edited video, states, “I’ll share this around the world. I’m starting to film a $20 million crypto giveaway with Elon Musk (a scam website) now.”
The fake Baltiromo asks, “How do you get involved?” “Just access a website (a scam website),” Trump replies on video. “It’s just a little simple step. It won’t take more than three minutes.” Bartiromo responds enthusiastically:
I’m definitely taking part.
These videos are scattered across X, especially in the reply section of posts linked to crypto media and influencers. In particular, each card deepfake we discovered featured a different URL, but some sites have been repeated over multiple videos. A search for WHOIS revealed that all of these fraudulent Trump-related websites were created on March 12, 2025 and were registered personally through Nisenic. Further scrutiny of X accounts distributing these videos suggests that this is not the first attempt to spread AI-generated scams.
These same users have been found to share all of their Deepfake AI videos, including the latest card videos and Vitalik Buterin’s Deepfake videos.
Another deepfake video shared in this cohort features Elon Musk along with Tucker Carlson. In the manipulated footage, Mask states: Carlson asks, “How can I join?” Musk proceeds to provide the exact same scripted response as the fake Trump video, and Carlson, who reflects Deepfake Baltiromo, declares that he “will definitely take part.” The video ends with both men laughing and amplifying the fantasies of credibility further.
This manufactured video from Vitalik Buterin is another deceptive creation, with all websites linked to the recent Trump, Mask, and Butarin Deepfaak scams registered this year through Nicenic with private domain details.
Additionally, the con artists are pushing the depths of Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum. Once again the video is set up for an interview, and Butarin is asked by the interviewer, “What is an Ethereum Arbitration Bot?” “The Ethereum developer team created arbitrage bots for passive income like staking,” says Fony Butalin. In broken English, the interviewer says, “How can I participate?” Fake Butarine says, “It’s a simple step to set up a bot that should take more than 10 minutes just by visiting a website (a scam website).”
The X accounts that distribute these Deepfark videos appear to have been purchased, not newly created, dating back to 2019, 2014 and 2020. Some of the scammers didn’t even delete posts from previous owners of their accounts. Additionally, we found that some of these accounts are driving other frauds, such as the XRP double scheme. There, victims are seduced to carry the false promise to receive twice the amount of XRP. In reality, no one receives the promised payment. The deposited XRP will simply be stolen.
These fraudulent schemes may be easily recognised by some, but unsuspecting individuals have been easily deceived and drawn into the persuasive nature of deepfake videos, leading to visiting these fraudulent websites.
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