Deepfake Scams Exploit Medical Professionals in Fraudulent Health Product Campaigns

Criminals are using AI-generated deepfake videos to impersonate medical professionals and promote fraudulent health products. German nutritionist Matthias Riedl appears in a social media clip endorsing Moringa supplements, but the video is a fabricated creation using his likeness without consent. Similar schemes target other prominent figures including doctors Andreas Michalsen, Christian Drosten, Julia Fischer, and Eckart von Hirschhausen. These fake advertisements promote products like blood sugar monitors, weight loss patches, parasite medications, medicinal mushrooms, and ginger powder for metabolism. According to cybersecurity firm Surfshark, fraudsters globally obtained approximately 930 million euros through deepfake scams in 2025. The Charité hospital has warned that criminal organizations exploit its reputation to market inferior goods on platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. Eckart von Hirschhausen reports receiving 50 to 100 daily notifications about fake videos using his identity and has pursued legal action against Meta, winning a case at the Frankfurt Higher Regional Court last year. He emphasizes the need for binding regulations to protect victims, punish perpetrators, and hold platforms accountable. Joachim Wagner from the Federal Office for Information Security notes organized crime involvement and suggests developing verification methods like watermarks. Warning signs of fraudulent videos include metallic audio, incorrect pronunciation, monotone delivery, unnatural lighting, and blurred facial contours. The German Federal Center for Nutrition and Federal Institute for Risk Assessment are recommended sources for reliable supplement information.