Case sarb-kganyago-deepfake-warningDeepfake fraudSouth Africa
South African Reserve Bank warns of deepfake video of Governor Kganyago pushing investment
The SARB posted on X that a circulating video showing Governor Lesetja Kganyago endorsing an investment was a deepfake with an altered voice, stressing the central bank never promotes investments or asks for transfers.
MediumAttack using AIStatus: OngoingVerified case file
Open in the interactive mapCite this case
- Reported
- Sep 25, 2025
- Location
- South Africa
- Target
- South African public
- Severity
- Medium
- Triggered by
- Unknown
- Actor type
- Criminal
- Reported loss
- None reported
- CVE
- None
What happened
The SARB posted on X that a circulating video showing Governor Lesetja Kganyago endorsing an investment was a deepfake with an altered voice, stressing the central bank never promotes investments or asks for transfers.
Impact: No losses disclosed; coverage cited reports of a 1,200 percent rise in deepfake fraud cases in South Africa.
Who triggered it
Actor: Unknown
Attribution: Unknown.
Motive: Lure investors to a fraudulent platform using central bank credibility.
How it happened
Attack vector: AI-generated video with cloned voice of the governor shared on social media directing viewers to a suspicious platform.
Root cause: Public figures' speeches provide ample training material for voice and face cloning.
Timeline
- SARB flags deepfake video on X
- South African media report the warning
Response
Public warning; SARB urged verification before trusting online content.
Current status: Ongoing
Sources (open in a new tab)
- IOL iol.co.za
- Personal Finance persfin.co.za
Cite this case
South African Reserve Bank warns of deepfake video of Governor Kganyago pushing investment. AI Threat Watch, case sarb-kganyago-deepfake-warning, Sep 25, 2025. https://aithreat.io/cases/sarb-kganyago-deepfake-warning/
Permanent link: https://aithreat.io/cases/sarb-kganyago-deepfake-warning/