AI-generated scams featuring people pretending to be injured veterans could make the public feel less inclined to donate to charities, a homelessness charity has warned.
The charity Alabaré said it had seen a rising number of the scams on TikTok and Instagram involving clips pretending to show UK veterans with severe injuries and struggling businesses asking for sales.
Alabaré described the scams as “shocking and despicable” and said the videos also ask for engagement on posts through likes and comments, with the aim of pushing them into the algorithms of more users.
Faye Tryhorn, media relations and external affairs manager at Alabaré, said there was a risk that these scams could make the public feel less inclined to donate to charities.
“The rise of these fake videos, playing on the strength of feeling towards the veteran community, is worrying and a despicable use of AI technology,” she said.
“The real concern for us, as an organisation supporting former military personnel, is that the trust between the public and veterans is irreparably damaged.
“Without donations, we’d struggle to maintain levels of support, leaving veterans with fewer safe, secure places to stay and a lack of pastoral support to help regain confidence and independence.”
Alabaré runs a network of 19 properties across Wales and south-west England providing bed spaces for veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The charity also provides trauma-informed and person-centred support to veterans.
“The AI makes the videos look very realistic, with people being duped into making purchases of what they’re led to believe are top-quality items,” the charity said.
“Alabaré is now asking consumers to be wary of the videos and to only make purchases from legitimate sources – checking for UK-registered addresses, assessing reviews and recommendations, or buying from in-person stores and stalls instead.
“We’re also calling for tech companies to crack down on social media content which is being deliberately designed to mislead shoppers and take advantage of their good nature.”