A Deepfake Fiji TV Presenter Is Promoting a Fake Investment Scheme — And the UN Says the Whole Pacific Is a Target

Disclaimer: This article summarises public warnings issued by Fiji's consumer protection agency, Fiji Television, and the United Nations. It is not financial or legal advice. If you encounter suspicious investment offers referencing Fijian institutions, verify directly with the Reserve Bank of Fiji, the FCCC, or a licensed financial institution before taking any action.

The video looks convincing. A recognisable Fiji One News presenter, familiar branding from the Reserve Bank of Fiji, and a straightforward pitch: invest FJD $550 and earn up to FJD $18,000 a month.

It is entirely fabricated. The presenter never recorded it. The Reserve Bank has nothing to do with it. And the investment scheme doesn't exist.

What does exist is an AI-generated deepfake — and it's circulating right now.

What Happened

Fiji Television Limited has confirmed that a video using the likeness and voice of one of its news presenters is fake, created without the presenter's knowledge or consent. The video also uses Reserve Bank of Fiji branding to give the scheme a veneer of official legitimacy.

Fiji TV publicly condemned the "unauthorised and unethical use" of its brand and its presenter's identity, and confirmed it is working with the Reserve Bank and law enforcement to have the video removed and its origin traced.

The Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC) has issued a public warning: don't invest in platforms advertised through suspicious or unsolicited videos, verify any such claims directly through official channels, and report fake content to the FCCC.

The Reserve Bank has also warned the public directly — this is not a scheme they endorse or are affiliated with in any way.

A Second Scam Running in Parallel

Separately, a scam circulating on TikTok is exploiting the brand recognition of M-PAiSA — Vodafone Fiji's mobile money platform — and its associated Mastercard product.

The structure is a classic advance-fee fraud dressed up in a locally trusted brand: a "$9.95" monthly subscription promising returns of USD $2,000–$4,000, with an upfront "$49.95" joining fee required before any returns materialise. Victims are reportedly urged to purchase prepaid cards and share card details under the guise of urgent payments.

The use of M-PAiSA's branding is deliberate. It lowers suspicion because the underlying product is real and widely used. The scheme isn't.

The UN Warning That Landed the Same Week

This isn't happening in isolation. At the Pacific Youth Digital Resilience Forum — held alongside the Pacific Islands Forum on July 10 — the head of the UNODC Pacific office, Marie Pegie Cauchois, warned delegates that AI-enabled scams and deepfakes are an emerging, cross-border threat across the region.

The message was direct: digital technology has brought real gains in financial inclusion and entrepreneurship across the Pacific, but the same tools are increasingly being weaponised for scams, phishing, fake investment schemes, and "increasingly sophisticated social engineering." Deepfakes and AI-generated impersonation were specifically named.

The UNODC Pacific office covers anti-corruption, cybercrime, and transnational organised crime across 14 Pacific Island countries. The point wasn't to alarm — it was to name something that's already happening.

Why This Matters Beyond the Scam Itself

The deepfake is alarming on its own. But what it reveals about Fiji's current regulatory landscape is the more important story.

As we covered in our piece on Fiji's path to a 2027 National AI Framework, there is currently no dedicated AI law in Fiji. No specific legal framework governing AI-generated impersonation, no dedicated liability mechanism for deepfake content, and a data protection legal framework that remains fragmented.

That means incidents like this one are currently handled through consumer protection warnings and reactive takedown requests — not a legal framework built for AI-generated harm. The gap between AI adoption and AI regulation is where this kind of scam operates.

It also lands alongside Fiji's rollout of AI-powered facial recognition through the Safe City Project — a point worth sitting with: Fiji is simultaneously building infrastructure to identify real people in public spaces, while AI is being used to fabricate convincing video of specific, real, identifiable people. Both are moving without a unified legal framework governing either.

What to Watch For

If you or someone you know encounters an investment offer in Fiji, treat the following as immediate red flags:

Promises of fixed, high returns — "invest $550, earn $18,000/month" is not how any legitimate investment works
Official branding used to validate the scheme — RBF, M-PAiSA, Fiji TV, or any recognised institution's logo in an unsolicited video
Urgency or upfront payment requests — joining fees, prepaid cards, or "limited time" framing
Video endorsements from recognisable faces — verify directly with the institution or person allegedly featured before acting

Report suspicious content to the FCCC at consumer@fccc.org.fj or call 155.

I work with Fijian businesses on technology strategy and digital systems — and AI-enabled fraud is increasingly part of the threat landscape businesses here need to understand. If you want to talk through how your organisation can build awareness or basic digital safety practices for your team, get in touch.