Science presenter Liz Bonnin has fallen victim to an AI deepfake scam after her likeness was used in online advertisements for an insect repellent spray without her consent. The fraudsters used an AI-generated voice message to trick the company behind the campaign into believing they were dealing with Bonnin herself.
Bonnin, known for presenting BBC shows such as Bang Goes the Theory and Our Changing Planet, said the fake voice message sounded like her at first but then drifted into an Australian accent and ended with an English voice. “It does feel like a violation and it’s not a pleasant thing,” she said. “Thank goodness it was just an insect repellent spray and that I wasn’t supposedly advertising something really horrid!”
Incognito, the company that ran the campaign, paid £20,000 to scammers after being contacted by a Facebook profile pretending to be Bonnin. Chief executive Howard Carter said he received voice messages that “clinched it” for him, even though he initially found the profile “a bit suspect”. The scammers provided a phone number, email, and even contact details for someone pretending to be from the Wildlife Trusts, where Bonnin serves as president.
Carter signed a contract he believed was electronically signed by Bonnin and transferred the money on 15 March. Images for the campaign were sent five days later. The campaign launched on Monday, but hours later Bonnin posted on X that she had not agreed to any endorsement. Carter received a text from the impersonator on Tuesday apologising and citing server issues, at which point he realised he had been duped.
Two AI experts who examined the voice note confirmed it was likely AI-generated. Surya Koppisetti of Reality Defender noted “gaps and recitation speed issues” consistent with AI speech, while Michael Keeling of Faculty said the “steady, monotone” background noise was a classic trick to make the audio seem more realistic.
Bonnin warned others to be vigilant: “If somebody contacts you and says, ‘Hey, let’s not go through the professional route,’ then beware.” She added that the incident was a “warning message” about the potential dangers of AI, while acknowledging its many beneficial uses.
