Staff Reporter
A FAKE video falsely portraying Namibia’s Vice President, Lucia Witbooi, is currently circulating on social media, and members of the public are being urged not to share or engage with the content.
The video falsely claims to feature the Vice President promoting an online programme that allegedly allows people to earn large sums of money daily through a financial “algorithm”. In the recording, viewers are told they have been selected among 100 people in Namibia to participate in a programme that promises earnings of up to N$18,800 per day after registering and making a deposit.
Authorities and observers have warned that videos like these are called deepfakes—digitally manipulated using artificial intelligence (AI) to make it appear that a person is saying or doing something they never actually said or did. These fraudulent videos form part of a common online scam tactic in which public figures are impersonated to gain credibility and lure people into providing personal information or depositing money.
Members of the public are advised to treat the video as misinformation and avoid clicking on links, entering personal details, or sharing the content further.
Online scams frequently use manipulated or artificially generated videos of well-known figures to promote unrealistic investment opportunities or quick-profit schemes. The public is encouraged to verify information through official sources and report suspicious content encountered on social media platforms.
