Deepfake with Xavier Bettel is walking around the web

A "marvellous offer" promising easy money has appeared on Luxembourg's social media. In a video created with the help of artificial intelligence technology, Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel claims that an investment of €250 can generate up to €30,000 in profits.

The fraudsters used excerpts from the 23 August RTL news broadcast to make it look more plausible by artificially combining footage of the anchor Raphaëlle Dickes and editing the politician's speech. In reality, Bettel's original speech, posted on his Facebook page, was about gender-based violence and had nothing to do with investment.

The deception was uncovered thanks to attention to detail: the altered background, the journalist's inappropriate clothing and jewellery, and the language. RTL presenters usually speak Luxembourgish, while the fake video uses French with a distinctive accent.

These deepfake videos are becoming an increasingly sophisticated tool for fraudsters. Using images and voices of famous people, they create the illusion of authenticity, forcing viewers to believe in non-existent schemes to get rich.

The video was circulated on the Facebook group Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow, Luxembourg. Authorities and police are urging citizens to be extremely cautious:

• not to trust "easy investments";
• to report suspicious videos to the police;
• remember that officials never offer such schemes through social media.

The incident was an alarming signal of how quickly deepfake technology is turning into a fraud tool, and the only defence left is critical thinking and attention to detail.