AI-generated fake veteran videos used to sell Chinese-made goods

AI-generated videos of fake injured war veterans are being used on social media to sell military-style memorabilia that is actually made in China, an investigation has found. The accounts use realistic-looking men and women who do not exist to appeal to people's emotions and suggest the products support former soldiers.

One video shows a man described as a British veteran asking viewers to buy his handmade wooden flags. Another shows a different man making a similar pitch. Neither is real. The accounts have been used to sell products on TikTok, and similar videos have appeared on other platforms.

Raymond, a veteran who served with the British Army in Afghanistan, saw the videos and clicked through to an external link. He spent £154.99 on a wooden flag. He believed the purchase would help a former soldier recover and build a life after the army. When the parcel arrived, the flag was glued plywood with a printed image from China. 'I just think people need to be aware that AI is getting better and humans are getting worse,' he said.

Other products include a bag advertised as hand-stitched and made by a British veteran. It cost a buyer £65, but the shipping instructions on the label came from a Chinese warehouse.

Charities that support genuine veterans say the scams make their work harder. They warn that money spent on fake veteran products can leave real veterans without support. 'There's a real risk that by having people scammed, essentially, out of their money by buying a product they think is supporting veterans, there's then that risk that veterans who really do need the support are kind of left behind,' one charity worker said.

Residents at a home for veterans who served this country said they were horrified when they were shown the videos. One said the AI-generated man was 'so believable' and described the scam as 'on a sick level'. Another said: 'Disgusted.'

British consumers have legal rights to a refund, but exercising them can be difficult. Once a purchase is made, there may be no way to contact the seller, and legal action against a business based overseas is often not worth the cost.

TikTok said it enforces strict rules against harmfully misleading AI-generated content and scams. It said it had removed the content and accounts that were shared with it.

Raymond said he was annoyed that he fell for the scam, despite thinking he was tech-savvy. He hopes to get his money back. If he does not, he said it will be a very expensive lesson. His flag is likely to sit in a cupboard while he is left with a sickening feeling that he was conned.