Glen Hansard fake images latest used in financial scams on Irish social media

Computer generated images used in ads promoting financial investment schemes

A fake image of Glen Hansard which has been used in scam financial ads on social media.

AI images of singer-songwriter Glen Hansard, who died in a motorcycle accident in July, are being used as part of online financial scams advertised in Ireland on social media.

Mr Hansard, who was lead singer with The Frames and won an Oscar with Markéta Irglová for Best Original Song for their song Falling Slowly, died following a single-vehicle motorcycle crash in Dublin on July 29. He had been due to begin a national tour in the autumn, including a date in Cork in November.

The elaborate schemes see Mr Hansard's image faked in ads promoting financial investment schemes which are advertised on X. The ads lead to fake articles masquerading as coming from real Irish news sources, claiming Mr Hansard left money in his will which had been invested in certain financial products based outside of Ireland. The products are unregulated and feature crypto trading investments.  Users are asked to leave their phone and email details to receive a callback from a representative, with the trading platforms seeking a minimum of €250 minimum.

The ads follow a similar pattern to advertisements using images of AIB chief executive Colin Hunt along with The Late Late Show presenter Patrick Kielty and broadcaster Claire Byrne in scams to lure in Irish social media users.

According to FraudSmart, the awareness initiative led by Banking & Payments Federation Ireland, one in 10 adults in Ireland reported clicking on a link in a text or email before realising it was suspicious. Niamh Davenport, BPFI head of financial crime said that Irish consumers are being "bombarded" with suspicious communications.

"Social engineering lies behind many of the scams we see today, with fraudsters manipulating people into taking actions such as clicking a link or transferring money. They often exploit emotions such as fear and sympathy and may spend time building trust. It is also becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between genuine and fraudulent communications," said Ms Davenport.

AIB urged customers to remain "vigilant" to scammers. "Criminals are increasingly leveraging sponsored and targeted advertisements on social media platforms, fake news articles, and cloned websites and AI-generated content and false endorsements. This content creates convincing investment opportunities that can appear genuine. That’s why people should always Wait a Sec and Double Check. In many cases, these scams are highly sophisticated and are designed to build trust over time, encouraging victims to make repeated payments," said an AIB spokesperson.