Fraud using İmamoğlu's image: Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality warns against fake ads
Fake sponsored ads promising monthly earnings of 300,000 lira, created by AI imitating Ekrem İmamoğlu's image and voice, have been circulating on social media. Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality warned citizens about these fraud attempts.
Fake investment ads featuring AI-generated images and voice of Ekrem İmamoğlu, Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and CHP's presidential candidate, have been circulated as sponsored content on social media platforms. After the related accounts were shut down, the municipality once again warned citizens against these scams.
According to a report by Ufuk Sepetci from Cumhuriyet, scammers using AI technology created fake investment ads by imitating the image and voice of Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was detained on March 19, 2025, and arrested on March 23 during operations targeting Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.
The sponsored videos used AI-generated images of İmamoğlu to promise citizens quick and high earnings. The videos included statements such as, "Turkey's economy is deteriorating. Until we come to power, our citizens must find ways to earn money online. You can earn 300,000 lira per month through daily income."
"300,000 lira per month is quite a good amount, it will ease your worries," the videos claimed. Recently, AI-produced "deepfake" content has been increasingly used in fraud schemes. Videos imitating well-known public figures' images and voices aim to create a sense of trust among citizens.
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality had previously warned the public about fake investment ads using Ekrem İmamoğlu's name and image. Official statements clarified that İmamoğlu does not give investment advice nor endorse any investment platforms, urging citizens to rely only on official sources.
After it was revealed that the account and videos reached many users through sponsored ads, the related account was closed and the videos removed. However, uncertainty remains about how many people saw the content and how long it circulated. These developments have reignited discussions about social media platforms' ad monitoring mechanisms.
