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A VIDEO WHICH purports to show Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary offering access to financial software that can help people make significant sums of money is fake.
The three-minute video was shared on Facebook on 26 February, and shows O’Leary sitting in a room in front of an advertising board with Ryanair’s name and logo on it.
The RTÉ News logo is also visible on the top left of the video, making it seem as though O’Leary is being featured on an RTÉ programme.
However, there are clear signs that the video is a deepfake and was generated using artificial intelligence.
The video has not appeared anywhere else, and is similar to other clips that purport to show Irish celebrities and politicians promoting get-rich-quick schemes on social media.
Although O’Leary has a distinctly Irish accent in real life, he speaks in an American accent in the video – a common feature in deepfake clips where a person’s speech has been generated using a prompt.
The O’Leary likeness begins the video by saying:
“You all know me. I’m Michael O’Leary, one of Ireland’s most successful businessmen. I’m not sure how you ended up on this site, but I guarantee you won’t regret it. This site is only open to 100 people, and you’re one of the few lucky ones with the chance to make money and transform your life.”
The O’Leary likeness then explains that those watching the video must sign up to a website in order to be given access to special software, which will purportedly allow them to “predict market trends” and earn €500 a day.
“To get started, simply visit the website and provide the necessary information,” the likeness says.
“You’ll then be contacted by a dedicated account manager who will answer all your questions and give you access to the platform.”
The link provided with the video leads to a website that has been removed. A ’404 Not Found’ error pops up when the link is clicked.
However, it is clear that the video is fake. It is part of a trend of clips shared on social media in which likenesses of famous Irish people offer get-rich-quick schemes.
It is not the first time that a likeness of O’Leary has featured in one of these clips: The Journal previously debunked a scam ad on YouTube which comprised a similar deepfake video of the Ryanair CEO speaking in an American accent.
The easiest way to identify that the latest video is not of O’Leary is his voice. Despite the likeness on screen bearing a strong resemblance to the Ryanair CEO, the likeness’ voice sounds nothing like him.
The O’Leary in the video speaks with a strange accent, that sounds American, English and occasionally Irish at different times.
It sounds nothing like the way the real O’Leary speaks in interviews and press conferences.
Here is the actual O’Leary being interviewed by Newstalk, and here he is speaking to RTÉ. His voice is completely different to how it is depicted in the video.
There are numerous other indications that the video is fake. Despite appearing at first glance to be O’Leary, the figure on screen often moves in a jerky, unrealistic way, with its shirt in particular not appearing realistic. This is a sign that it has been generated, rather than depicting something filmed.
The O’Leary likeness is also wearing the exact same clothes and framed by the same background as in the YouTube video that was previously debunked by The Journal.
As well as these visual and auditory inconsistencies, the context of the video also gives evidence as to why it is fake.
O’Leary sits in front of the Ryanair background, while offering access to financial software, something that would never be allowed by the company.
The RTÉ News logo also makes it seems as though he is being interviewed for the channel, yet the likeness talks as though the video has been made specifically for a website. All these clues indicate that the video is a deepfake.
Deepfakes like this are digitally manipulated images, video and audio that are designed to create fake material featuring the likeness of an individual, often in an effort to misrepresent their views or speech.
They are often produced using AI technology and are becoming increasingly common online, including to spread misinformation.
The ad follows the template of many other scams ads on social media that often feature fake RTÉ or Irish Independent reports, as well as celebrities.
Previous ads of this nature have featured politicians Leo Varadkar, Micheál Martin and Enda Kenny, as well as television presenters such as Anne Doyle, Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh, Maura Derrane, Ryan Tubridy, Colette Fitzpatrick, Ciara Doherty, Brian Dowling, and Alan Hughes, among others.
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