Influencers are increasingly battling AI-generated deepfakes that use their likeness without consent, impacting their credibility and brand. Emily Schuman, creator of Cupcakes and Cashmere, discovered digitally altered images of herself promoting products she had no association with, including GLP-1 drugs for Gala, makeup for Meroda Cosmetics, and blood testing for Superpower.
These deepfakes, which can be nearly indistinguishable from reality, are making it easier for scams to operate on a larger scale. Superpower CEO Max Marchione stated that a TikTok post featuring an AI version of Schuman was a scam reported by his company, noting that AI has worsened the issue of scamming.
According to research from Surfshark, global consumers may have lost up to $3.7 billion due to deepfake scams in 2026, with social media impersonations accounting for approximately half of these losses. Celebrities and influencers are particularly vulnerable due to the extensive amount of online content available for AI models to learn from.
Molly Tranchin, a fashion influencer, filed a lawsuit against underwear brand Eby, alleging the company posted a deepfake video of her in a different pose than agreed upon in their contract. Tranchin has since dropped the lawsuit over a lack of jurisdiction and plans to refile it.
Despite policies from platforms like Meta and TikTok prohibiting AI manipulation of identity, influencers report difficulties in removing deepfake content. Schuman stated it took weeks for Meta to remove one deepfake ad, while another makeup ad remains in circulation.