Deepfake Deception: Advisor's Office Warns Against AI-Fueled Gambling Scams
The Press Wing of the Chief Advisor to the Government has urged social media users to exercise increased caution in light of a disturbing trend involving AI-generated deepfake videos used to promote gambling sites.
In an official statement posted on its verified Facebook page “CA Press Wing Facts,” the office noted, “Gambling advertisements targeting Bangladeshi users on social media are nothing new, but they have taken an alarming turn. Now, leveraging the immense popularity of the Chief Advisor to the Government, Professor Muhammad Yunus, gamblers are creating AI-generated deepfake videos imitating news reports and false statements to lure the public to their sites.”
A recent example cited in the statement refers to a deepfake video circulating on Facebook in which Professor Yunus is falsely shown endorsing a gambling app.
“The video was shared by a Facebook user named Zawfar Hibart, where Dr. Yunus appears to claim that the government has launched an app promising significant returns on investment,” the statement reads.
In the manipulated footage, Professor Yunus is falsely depicted as saying: “We tested our product with a small group of volunteers. Each of them earned over Tk 555,000 in the first week. If you don’t earn at least Tk 37,000 in the first week, I’m ready to refund your money from my own pocket. So far, no one has failed to achieve results.”
However, an investigation confirmed that the video was AI-generated. A reverse image search revealed that the footage was taken from Al Jazeera’s program Talk to Al Jazeera, which aired on April 27, 2025, and was recorded at their Doha headquarters.
In the original interview, Professor Yunus did not make any remarks about gambling or government-backed investment applications. The deceptive video also featured a logo from bdnews24.com, even though the news outlet has never published such content.
Further analysis of the Facebook account responsible for sharing the video revealed that it was created on June 14, 2022, and is believed to be operated by several users based in Lithuania. The account contains only four posts—all promoting a gambling app named Blue Live.
“The video is completely fake and AI-generated. The voice is robotic and does not match Dr. Yunus’s actual voice,” the statement clarified.
This incident is not isolated. Since the formation of the interim government in August 2024, multiple deepfake videos featuring Professor Yunus have surfaced across Meta’s platforms.
He has been falsely portrayed as promoting gaming apps as a solution to poverty and unemployment in Bangladesh. Other videos have misleadingly claimed that the initiatives are part of efforts to support student movements or flood victims.
“In another deepfake, Dr. Yunus is shown promoting a betting site called Crazy Time Bangladesh. That too is fabricated,” the statement added.
“In the manipulated video featuring Crazy Time Bangladesh, Dr. Yunus is falsely used as a spokesperson. In reality, the video was created using digital editing tools.”
Keyframe analysis linked the fake content to an authentic YouTube video published by News24 on August 10, titled “Rangpur must become the number one district: Dr. Yunus.”
Upon close inspection, it was evident that the manipulated gambling ad replicated Dr. Yunus’s attire, the background, and the people surrounding him—all matching the original News24 video.
The statement concluded with a public advisory: “We urge social media users to remain vigilant and not be deceived by such deepfake videos.”
