Archbishop Palma victim of “deepfake”

CEBU, Philippines — Scammers will go to all lengths, even if they have to use the head of the Church in their activities.

Yesterday, the Cebu Archdiocese issued a statement following the spread of an online video advertisement of a product allegedly endorsed by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, who has become a victim of “deepfake” activity.

This also follows the recent cloning of the Cebu Archdiocese’s Facebook page.

Earlier, the Cebu Archdiocese had already clarified to the public that “a certain advertisement and promotion has been circulating, falsely claiming that Archbishop Palma has endorsed a product.”

The ad shows a photo of Archbishop Palma with a product on the side.

“We would like to clarify that this claim is entirely untrue and misleading. Archbishop Palma has not endorsed or supported this product in any capacity,” part of the Cebu Archdiocese statement reads.

Another post, however, was more “convincing” as it appears to have the Archbishop in a video testimonial about the effectiveness of the product.

Officials have stressed that the video is a deepfake, or an AI-generated or digitally-altered video made to appear as if it is someone else.

“We strongly advise the public to exercise caution and not to be misled by this false claim. For accurate information and genuine endorsements, please rely on official channels and trusted sources,” added the advisory.

Yesterday, the Archdiocese of Cebu informed members of the media that its Facebook page had been cloned.

Aside from the name, profile picture, and cover photo, the address had also been copied, except for the email address.

The cloned page only has six likes and 10 followers.

When explored further by The Freeman, it redirects to a website where a medicated cream product can be ordered.

The ads on the website claim the product is FDA-approved, among other certifications.

Aside from the Archdiocese of Cebu, it has also included the Philippine Red Cross logo, and a “testimonial video” with a logo of a TV network where videos are also believed to be another deepfake. — (FREEMAN)