FARAGE AND BAILEY CONDEMN DEEPFAKE ADS PROMOTING INVESTMENT SCAMS

Nigel Farage and Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey have both condemned AI-generated deepfake images circulating on X that depict the two men fighting on the set of BBC Question Time. The fabricated images show Farage grabbing, kicking, and at one point pointing a gun at Bailey. Multiple versions of the fake confrontation have appeared, and users on X have reported seeing the adverts repeatedly. Bailey has never appeared on Question Time.

The posts are designed to resemble videos, with a large play button overlaid on the images, though none of the posts are believed to contain actual video clips. Clicking the images leads users to articles promoting investment schemes that Bailey described as scams. He stated that fake adverts impersonating the Bank of England and other central banks are increasing, and warned they are designed to criminally exploit the public, particularly vulnerable people. The Bank of England has reported the adverts to both X and Reform UK. Cybersecurity firm Bitdefender told a national newspaper that the images formed part of a global, co-ordinated investment scam ecosystem, with the network appearing linked to Russian-language scammers pursuing financially motivated criminal activity.

Farage acknowledged the content in a post on X, writing that whilst he and Bailey have their disagreements, he would never take it that far. Bailey called on the public to remain vigilant and report such scams so that authorities can remove the fraudsters responsible. He described the phenomenon as a digital scourge targeting online users. Both figures have now publicly distanced themselves from the fabricated content.