Deepfaked TV doctors promoting health-product scams (BMJ)

In July 2024 The BMJ published a feature documenting a surge in deepfake videos that impersonate well-known, trusted UK television doctors — including Hilary Jones, Rangan Chatterjee and the late Michael Mosley — to promote unproven 'cures' for high blood pressure and diabetes and to sell supplements such as hemp/CBD gummies across Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. The videos exploit the trust these clinicians built with the public; Dr Jones noted that takedowns are quickly followed by re-uploads under new names, and the feature cited research suggesting up to half of viewers cannot distinguish such deepfakes from authentic videos. It is a documented example of synthetic impersonation of public figures driving health misinformation and consumer fraud rather than direct wire-transfer theft.