Taylor Swift video altered in bogus Le Creuset giveaway ads

"I got some exciting news to share! I have teamed up with Lé Creuset for another epic gift-away - But this time we're giving away FREE 20 piece cookware sets!" said a January 2, 2024 Facebook post sharing a video of Swift, which has since been removed.

In the clip, the singer appeared to say: "Due to a packaging error, we can't sell 3,000 Le Creuset cookware sets. So, I'm giving them away to my loyal fans for free."

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Screenshot of a Facebook post taken January 10, 2023

Meta's Ad Library shows multiple posts featuring the pop superstar have circulated on Facebook since late December. 

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Screenshot of Meta's Ad Library taken January 10, 2023

Cookware sets from Le Creuset retail for more than $1,000, making the possibility of a freebee attractive. But the link in the post for "Taylor Swift's BIG New Year Giveaway" led to an unrelated website.

Other posts link to a supposed Food Network article about the promotion. However, AFP found no such article on the cable channel's website -- and a spokesperson said the promotion is "in no way connected to the Food Network brand."

Links in the fake article lead to a series of survey questions requesting personal information and a payment that supposedly covers shipping costs for the "free" product.

Asked about the ads, the French cookware company told AFP: "Le Creuset has never partnered with Taylor Swift for any partnership to offer gifts to consumers."

Le Creuset does use social media to offer giveaways (archived here), but it said all promotions will come from official, verified profiles.

"It is always advisable to check the official Le Creuset social accounts and website before clicking on a suspicious ad," the company said in a French statement.

Widespread scam tactic

A keyword search for "Le Creuset giveaway" on Facebook surfaced more offers for free cookware purportedly sponsored by Oprah Winfrey, country music star Trisha Yearwood and US television hosts Joanna and Chip Gaines.

"This is a scam," said Katie Keil, director of public relations at Magnolia, the lifestyle company founded by the Gaines.

In a January 16 email, she told AFP the company did not permit the use of Joanna or Chip Gaines's likeness in the ads -- and that the couple does "not have a sponsorship deal" with Le Creuset.

Meta's Ad Library shows other alleged offers from singers Selena Gomez, Lainey Wilson and Miranda Lambert -- as well as blogger Ree Drummond, known as the Pioneer Woman. The videos claim the cookware is free due to a "packaging error."

AFP contacted representatives for Swift and other celebrities for comment, but responses were not forthcoming.

The US Better Business Bureau warns consumers that artificial intelligence (AI) has led to an increase in accounts using celebrity impersonations to promote unaffiliated products.

Cybersecurity firm McAfee said January 10 on X that it had confirmed the video of Swift was a "deepfake scam generated through AI" (archived here). The New York Times reported the clips were likely created using an AI text-to-speech tool.

The ads contain several other clues that they are inauthentic:

• The celebrities' lips do not sync with their supposed statements.
• Some posts misspelled the company's name.
• Most of the pages sponsoring the ads were recently created, according to their Page Transparency information.
• The pages are not verified and have few followers or public posts.
• Users have commented on several posts warning others the offer is not legitimate.

AFP previously reported news anchors in several countries have seen their likenesses used in AI-generated ads promoting spurious offers. AFP has also debunked investment schemes falsely linked to Elon Musk.