--- title: "Tom Hanks Warns That Deepfake Scams Are Stealing His Face" description: "Tom Hanks is warning his fans not to fall for fraudulent deepfakes that depict him hawking \"miracle cures\" and other products." date: "2024-08-31" modified: "2024-08-31" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/tom-hanks-psa-deepfake-scams" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" tags: - "ai" - "celebrities" - "deepfakes" - "the digest" --- # Tom Hanks Warns That Deepfake Scams Are Stealing His Face ![Tom Hanks is warning his fans not to fall for fraudulent deepfakes that depict him hawking "miracle cures" and other products.]() *\Image: Amy Sussman via Getty / Futurism\* ## Hanks for Nothing Tom Hanks is pleading with netizens to avoid falling for online deepfake scams that use his likeness to hawk drugs and supplements. In a [Thursday evening Instagram post](), the beloved actor issued a "public service announcement" — cheesily captioned with an old-timey "Extra! Extra! Read all about it!" — warning that "there are multiple ads over the internet falsely using my name, likeness, and voice," which Hanks says are being used to promote "miracle cures and wonder drugs." "These ads have been created without my consent, fraudulently and through AI," the actor added. "I have nothing to do with these posts or the products and treatments, or the spokespeople touting these cures." "DO NOT BE FOOLED. DO NOT BE SWINDLED," Hanks continued. "DO NOT LOSE YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY." You heard the man! If you see a social media-shared clip of Tom Hanks trying to sell you on a miracle pill or supplement — or *anything,* for that matter — air heavily on the side of caution. ## Hard Earned Money This isn't the first time Hanks has been caught up in a deepfake scammer's grift. In October, [again taking to Instagram](), the actor shared a screenshot of a deepfaked video clip of him that was being used to hawk a dental plan, which he captioned with an urgent "BEWARE!!" "There's a video out there promoting some dental plan with an AI version of me," Hanks wrote. "I have nothing to do with it." In other words, Hanks has now had to deal with this repeatedly and is understandably getting a little annoyed. (It's also worth noting that this is one kind of fraudulent, AI-abetted scammery that the Federal Trade Commission is currently [attempting to crack down on]().) Hanks isn't the only celebrity whose voices and visages have been used for [dark purposes](). A deepfaked copy of Tom Cruise's voice, for example, was [used to narrate]() a Russia-made propaganda clip designed to undermine trust in the International Olympic Committee, and both [famous]() and nonfamous women have faced the [creation]() and [disseminatio]()n of nonconsensual deepfake pornography. The web has always been home to frauds and scammers. But AI is making old problems worse, often through convincing deepfakes of recognizable, trustworthy figures. If there's any advice? Be [extra careful]() with what you consume online these days (although in general, it's best to avoid sketchy Facebook ads for random drugs.) As the real Hanks put it: DO NOT BE SWINDLED, folks. **More on deepfakes:** [*Something Fascinating Is Wrong with the Eyes in Deepfakes*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()