AI deepfakes of Mark Cuban's face and voice used in Facebook ads selling fake diabetes treatments, Cuban alleged
Mark Cuban alleged that scammers used AI-generated copies of his face and voice in Facebook advertisements to sell diabetes treatments he never sold or endorsed. He said older Americans contact him believing they bought a $294 treatment promoted with his likeness, and criticised Facebook for allowing the ads. The claims came as internal Meta documents reportedly estimated about $16 billion in 2024 revenue from scam and prohibited-product ads. Meta disputed the characterisation of the documents.
What the AI did
Scammers allegedly used AI to generate copies of Mark Cuban's face and voice for Facebook advertisements, making diabetes treatments he never sold or endorsed appear legitimate. It has not been reported which AI tool was used.
First reported October 7, 2026 · Added to the register October 15, 2026 · 1 source
- Affected
- Mark Cuban, Older Americans
- Country
- United States
- When it happened
- Not stated in the sources
- First reported
- October 7, 2026
What this means for you
Could this affect you?
Some consumers reportedly paid $294 for diabetes products promoted with Cuban's allegedly AI-generated likeness, and Cuban said older Americans contact him believing he endorsed them. Any public figure or brand whose face or voice can be copied could be used the same way.
What to check
- Monitor ad platforms for unauthorised use of your executives' or brand's likeness.
- File takedown requests promptly when fake endorsements appear.
- Verify celebrity endorsements in health-product ads before running them.
Areas of your AI programme this touches
Every fact and its source (4)
- Price paid by consumers per product$294“Some consumers reportedly paid $294 for products Cuban said he had never sold or endorsed.”[1]
- Reported Meta revenue estimate from scam and prohibited adsAbout $16 billion in 2024“Internal Meta documents reportedly projected about $16 billion in 2024 revenue from advertisements promoting scams and prohibited products.”[1]
- Meta responseMeta disputed the documents' characterisation“Meta spokesman Andy Stone disputed the characterisation of the documents”[1]
- Scam ads Meta said it removedMore than 134 million in 2025“The company also said it removed more than 134 million scam advertisements in 2025.”[1]
Sources
- Mark Cuban Accuses Facebook of Allowing AI Deepfake Scams as Meta Faces $16 Billion Revenue Claimibtimes.co.uk · October 7, 2026
How this record is classified. Severity M (3/5): harm to individuals, or a policy breach with limited reach. OECD level: incident, an event in which an AI system led to actual harm. Evidence: Alleged, meaning one party's claim.
The facts in At a glance and in Every fact and its source are quoted from the sources listed. The summary, What the AI did and What this means for you are written from those sources and checked against them automatically before publication. Records reflect what has been disclosed, not everything that has happened. Incidents are found through news feeds and the GDELT Project.
