Taranaki, New Zealand Resident Allegedly Defrauded of $224K in Bitcoin Scam Using Deepfake of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon

A Taranaki, New Zealand resident allegedly lost $224,000 in a Bitcoin scam involving a deepfake video reportedly depicting Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. The AI-generated video, shared on Facebook, purportedly promoted cryptocurrency investments targeting superannuitants. Scammers posing as financial advisers reportedly gained remote access to the victim’s computer and created accounts to facilitate the transfer of funds.