Sri Lankan cricket legend Mahela Jayawardena has issued a public warning against fraudulent advertisements circulating on social media that use artificial intelligence to falsely portray him endorsing financial schemes.
Speaking to NewsWire, Jayawardena said the advertisements are completely fake and urged the public not to fall victim to such scams.
“Please do not believe these things. I have nothing to do with any investment or financial promotions. These videos are created using AI and are meant to mislead people,” Jayawardena told NewsWire.
The former Sri Lanka captain said scammers are using AI-generated visuals and voice cloning to closely imitate his appearance and voice, making the content appear authentic. He warned that the videos are designed to trick people into investing money in fraudulent schemes.
Jayawardena is the latest Sri Lankan sports figure to be targeted by such scams. Former Sri Lanka captains Kumar Sangakkara and Sanath Jayasuriya have also previously issued public warnings after similar AI-generated videos misused their likenesses to promote fake financial investments.
Authorities and cybersecurity experts advise the public to watch out for the following signs to identify AI-generated scam content:
• Promises of guaranteed or unusually high returns
• Pressure to invest quickly or “act now” messages
• Requests for personal, banking, or OTP details
• Links to unofficial websites or private messaging apps
• Videos using well-known public figures without confirmation from official sources
• Slight lip-sync issues, unnatural facial movements, or oddly flat voice tones
• Claims that are not reported by verified news outlets
The public has been urged to verify information through official channels, avoid clicking suspicious links, and report fraudulent content to social media platforms and authorities. (Newswire)