Facebook scammers want you to think Elon Musk can cure diabetes

Elon Musk discovered a simple 30-second “fridge trick” that can reverse diabetes, but the discovery has spooked pharmaceutical companies so much they put a $78 million bounty on his head, forcing the Tesla CEO to flee the country. At least, that’s what a collection of AI-generated Facebook ads claim.

Facebook ads depicting deepfakes of Elon Musk and Fox News personalities claiming that the Tesla CEO has discovered the cure for diabetes have been circulating on the platform for weeks. The ads seem to be part of a wider scam that uses the deepfakes to sell unproven supplements.

Engadget has identified scores of pages running versions of these ads since early February. Though many of the ads don’t stay up for very long, the same pages have repeatedly run dozens or even hundreds of versions of the videos, all of which follow a similar format. The vast majority feature Elon Musk and Fox News hosts, but there are also versions with other notable figures, including Oprah Winfrey, former Utah Senator Mitt Romney and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Using social media to hawk sketchy supplements isn’t exactly new. AFP Fact Check detailed a similar ring of scammy Facebook ads promoting supplements that purported to cure high blood pressure last year. But the addition of AI-manipulated video and deepfaked audio of Musk adds a new layer to such scams.

While this particular scam has apparently gone largely undetected by Meta, the company is well aware that fraudsters often use celebrities and other public figures to lure in unsuspecting users. A Polish billionaire recently won a legal battle with the company over deepfake ads that used his likeness. Last fall, the company announced that it would bring back facial recognition technology in an effort to fight “celeb bait” scams.

Musk, of course, is no stranger to impersonation scams. Crypto scammers have impersonated him across social media for years. His new position as a close lieutenant of President Donald Trump and head of the “Department of Government Efficiency,” however, makes him an even more attractive target to fraudsters hoping to capitalize on his newfound authority. Several of the ads identified by Engadget feature video clips of Musk’s recent public appearances and speeches. These include ads with AI-generated audio overlaid onto video from an onstage interview this month at the Conservative Political Action Conference, known as CPAC, and a photo opp in the Oval Office.

“There are a lot of different ‘blood sugar support,’ type 2 diabetes, reverse diabetes, sort of scams out there these days,” says Jordan Liles, a senior reporter at Snopes who has debunked some of these videos on his YouTube channel. “It’s the same sort of process you might see with other scams in that they start with an ad, they go to a long video on a website, and then they want you to order the product. And they want you to believe everything that you just saw is real.”

These ads seem to violate multiple policies of Meta, including its rules around medical misinformation and requirements for advertisers to disclose the use of AI-manipulated media. And many of the ads identified by Engadget appear to have been removed within a day or two. But many of the Facebook pages behind these ads, which have names like “Mindful Medicine,” “Your health compass” and “The Wellbeing Spot” remain active. Several pages repeatedly ran dozens of new ads with similar content shortly after the old ones were removed.

Because ads that are taken down are removed from Meta’s Ad Library along with their associated analytics, it’s hard to know just how many accounts they are reaching. But the few that remain viewable offer some clues. One such ad, from a page called “Healthy Style,” was active on Facebook, Instagram and Messenger for three days, according to the company’s Ad Library. The advertiser paid Meta between $300 and $399 for the ad, which generated 5,000 – 6,000 impressions. At one point in February, the page was running 177 versions of a similar ad. Another, from a page called “Hydromeduoside” also ran for two days, generating between 10,000 and 15,000 impressions across Facebook, Instagram and Messenger. It cost between $400 and $499, according to the Ad Library. Both ads were removed by Meta because they “ran without the required disclaimer” for ads about social and political issues, according to a notice in the Ad Library, despite likely breaking other rules and having no particular relation to politics.

Meta removed the “Healthy Style” page after an inquiry from Engadget. The company said in a statement it was investigating the ads and taking action on other pages. “The ad review system reviews ads for violations of our policies,” a spokesperson said. “This review process may include the specific components of an ad, such as images, video, text and targeting information, as well as an ad’s associated landing page or other destinations, among other information.”

The ads follow a similar script. They often open with deepfakes of Fox News personalities discussing how Musk recently “blew up the internet” with his discovery that “big pharma” doesn’t want you to see. The ads then cut to an AI-manipulated video clip of him from a podcast or other public appearance. Many of the ads refer to the “MAHA” website, an apparent reference to Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement.

The ads never disclose the actual “trick” for reversing diabetes. In one version, Musk says all you need is a “common fruit.” In another, Kennedy says it requires a “frozen lemon.” Another suggests that all you need is “a lemon and a pair of socks.” The ads urge viewers to visit a linked website to find a guide “before it’s wiped from the internet.” Bizarrely, the videos end with several minutes of silence that show a still image of a random object like a clock, calculator or blood pressure cuff.

Most of these ads link to websites that attempt to spoof mainstream news sites like Fox News, CNN or Yahoo (Engadget’s parent company). These websites typically don’t have obvious links to supplements, but feature additional lengthy videos with AI-manipulated clips of cable news personalities. These videos, which can run upward of 20 minutes, often feature old video clips with AI-generated audio of Barbra O’Neill, an Australian naturopath who was permanently banned from offering health-related services in her home country after claiming that cancer could be cured with baking soda.

(There’s no evidence that O’Neill, who has emerged as a popular wellness influencer in the US in recent years, is actually associated with these websites. As The Guardian reported last year, O’Neill is often impersonated by scammers using AI-generated content to sell unproven remedies on Facebook and TikTok. Her official Facebook page often warns followers about scammers who impersonate her on and off Facebook. A representative for O’Neill didn’t respond to a request for comment.)

Once you make it to the end of the video, a link appears offering a time-limited “deal” on a supplement called “Gluco Revive.” The supplement, which is also available from third-party sellers on Amazon and walmart.com, doesn’t actually claim to treat any condition related to diabetes in its marketing. Instead, it suggests it offers “blood support” that “boosts energy levels” and “supports healthy weight.” According to its label, it has a “proprietary blend” of ingredients like juniper berry powder and bitter melon extract.

The FDA has previously warned consumers about companies selling over the counter diabetes treatments and supplements. “There are no dietary supplements that treat or cure diabetes,” the agency wrote in a warning published in December. “Some ‘all-natural’ diabetes products contain hidden active ingredients found in approved prescription drugs used to treat diabetes … these products may interact in dangerous ways with other medications.”

While it’s impossible to know just how many people have been duped by these ads, there are dozens of listings for Gluco Revive on Amazon, some of which indicate there have been thousands of sales in the last month. The reviews on Amazon, where it’s sold for anywhere from $22 – $70, suggest that some people may have purchased the supplements after seeing one of the ads described above. “It’s not working. I thought someone from the company was going to call me on what to do. Dr. O’Neil [sic] said that we might feel a change in about 17 hours. It’s been 7 days and I feel no difference.”

“This does not work and in fact raised my blood sugar,” another reviewer reports, noting they found the product via Facebook. “When contacting the suppler [sic] they did send me a Return authorization number and address to send the unused bottles …I boxed them up [and] sent priority shipping and it’s being returned as no such address. I called USPS and they let me know that it was a scam and they have had 100s of returns to that address [and] that they do not exist.”

Though Gluco Revive appears to be the most prevalent supplement sold via this scam, some linked pages from the Facebook ads sell similar products, like “Gluco Control,” which purports to be a “a 100% natural, safe, and effective blood sugar management product.” The website says it’s made up of gymnema sylvestre, grape seed extract, green tea extract and “African mango extract.” The website features a list of scientific references and media endorsements that appear to be entirely made up. Another page promotes something called “Gluco Freedom,” which has a similar ingredient list, and offers a 180-day supply for $294.

Liles, the Snopes reporter who identified the Gluco Revive ads on Facebook in early February, and has researched many similar scams on social media, suspects the ads are having some success. “If the same product gets weeks and weeks, or months or longer of advertising, that means that it’s something that they’re seeing results with,” he says.

Have a tip? Get in touch with the author at karissa.bell [at] engadget.com or message securely on Signal: karissabe.51