Education Minister distances himself from deepfake ponzi video

The Office of the Minister of Education and Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu, has strongly denied links to a viral video circulating on social media, describing it as a fraudulent deepfake created to lure unsuspecting Ghanaians into a fake investment scheme.

The video, which has been shared widely on Facebook, falsely depicts the Minister in an interview setting with banners promoting a supposed government-backed investment platform. One banner claims, “A government platform guarantees an income of 10,500 per week,” while another urges viewers to “invest 2,600 today and receive your first payment as early as tomorrow.”

In a statement issued on Monday, the Minister’s Office dismissed the video as “a complete fabrication deliberately created by scammers to defraud the public.” It stressed that Haruna Iddrisu has no involvement with any such scheme.

“The Honourable Minister has no association with any such investment scheme, and the video is a complete fabrication,” the statement read.

The Office further cautioned the public not to engage with or share the fraudulent content. “This is a scam, and anyone who encounters it should not engage with it or share it,” it warned.

Officials underscored the growing threat of deepfake technology, which allows criminals to manipulate images, audio, and video to spread false information. Cybersecurity experts in Ghana have repeatedly warned that scammers are increasingly targeting high-profile public figures to give fraudulent schemes a false sense of credibility.

The statement, signed by the Media Relations Unit of the Minister’s Office, reaffirmed Haruna Iddrisu’s commitment to protecting the public from online fraud and urged citizens to exercise caution in the digital space.

In recent years, several government officials, business leaders, and even celebrities have had their images misused in similar fake promotions online. Citizens have been urged to remain vigilant and to verify information through credible news outlets and official channels before making financial commitments.