AI Deepfakes Are Impersonating Religious Figures to Solicit Donations
WIRED reports that deepfake attacks are impersonating pastors and other religious figures in order to scam congregations. Father Mike Schmitz, a priest who hosts a podcast with over a million followers, warned his listeners in November that AI-generated deepfakes were using his likeness to fraudulently solicit donations. WIRED found that several of these fake accounts are still active on TikTok, and they appear when a TikTok user searches for Father Schmitz.