Actor Henryk Gołębiewski Falls Victim of Scam! Provocative Campaign Raises Awareness of Criminals' Use of Artificial Intelligence
Puls TV, together with the Police Headquarters and the Puls TV "Pod Dębem" Foundation, has launched the latest installment of the #ZnamTeNumery social campaign, aimed at seniors and their loved ones. Poczta Polska is a partner in the campaign. Using artificial intelligence, the campaign's initiators are positioning themselves as both an online fraudster and an educator. In this unique way, they are raising awareness of AI's advanced capabilities and warning against potential threats.
On November 14th, World Senior Day, a controlled scam advertising "Pension for the Max"—a product that doesn't actually exist—was released on TV Puls, Puls 2, the internet, and digital OOH platforms across Poland. It was promoted by Henryk Gołębiewski, the ambassador of the #ZnamTeNumery social campaign and an actor known from the TV Puls series "Pawnshop. Life under Collateral."
In the first week, the Emeryturanamaxa.pl website was visited by approximately 15,000 people who fell for the scam. This demonstrates the real threat posed by online fraudsters and the importance of such social campaigns.
Using artificial intelligence, scammers can "hire" any celebrity for their videos by downloading a few photos and video samples from the internet. We've already seen Iga Świątek and Robert Lewandowski, among others, whose images were illegally used to advertise non-existent products or services. A similar mechanism was used in the next installment of the #ZnamTeNumery social campaign, creating a video scam featuring Henryk Gołębiewski. Research confirms that seniors are particularly vulnerable to this type of manipulation, although anyone can fall victim to scams, regardless of age, gender, or education.
How was this done, or how does a controlled scam work?
Over 60% of Poles use AI for work. It offers enormous opportunities, although the intentions behind its use can vary. To showcase the capabilities of AI, a fictional investment product called "Emerytura na masa" (Retirement at the Max) was created, intended to encourage seniors to make quick and easy profits. A video scam was created, featuring Henryk Gołębiewski as the main character. The actor spent… 0 minutes on the set!
"Telewizja Puls's proposal really surprised me. I wasn't entirely sure what the effect of the video would be, as it was created without my involvement! When I saw it, I was horrified – thanks to advanced technologies, fraudsters are able to fabricate any material, illegally using the image of a selected person, and then use it to extort data and savings from seniors. I've emphasized this many times in interviews – don't believe everything you see online ," said Henryk Gołębiewski, ambassador for the #ZnamTeNumery social campaign.
"Emerytura na masa" (Retirement at the Max) – part of the #ZnamTeNumery (I Know These Numbers) social campaign – was divided into two stages. The first phase involved broadcasting a video containing the scam. It appeared on TV Puls and Puls 2, online, and, thanks to the support of partners, also on the Facebook groups of the Polish Union of Rural Housewives' Associations and Radio Pogoda, as well as on digital OOH displays at train stations and on major thoroughfares across Poland (supported by PKP SA and Jet Line). Furthermore, from November 14th, upon visiting the website www.emeryturanamaxa.pl, users were automatically redirected to www.ZnamTeNumery.pl, where, instead of losing their data or money, they received a valuable lesson that will help them avoid similar traps in the future.
The second phase of the campaign began on November 20th. Videos and creatives explaining the campaign's goals will be displayed on the same channels and media until the end of 2024. Partners in this phase also include Poczta Polska, the Helios cinema chain, Radio Pogoda (Agora Group), the magazines "Przyjaciółka" and "100 rad" (Bauer Publishing House), "Głos Seniora," and organizations such as the Polish Association of Rural Housewives' Circles, the Polish Federation of Associations of Universities of the Third Age, and the Polish Association of Retirees, Pensioners, and Disabled People. The campaign is also being displayed at Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) offices, health resorts, and public transportation in selected cities across Poland.
The campaign's goal and alarming statistics.
The statistics on cybersecurity in Poland and online crimes are alarming. According to CERT Polska's 2023 annual report, the number of cybersecurity incidents has increased by almost 800% over the past four years, and compared to last year, this represents an increase of over 40,000 recorded incidents (from 39,683 in 2022 to 80,267 in 2023).
The #ZnamTeNumery social campaign, launched in October 2023, is focused on the safety of seniors. Extensive activities conducted by TV Puls in collaboration with the National Police Headquarters, the TV Puls "Pod Dębem" Foundation, the actors from the hit series "Pawnshop. Life Under Collateral," and a number of supporting organizations, reach thousands of seniors.
The latest installment of the #ZnamTheNumery campaign – Retirement at the Max – was created with the support of numerous partners. These include the magazines "Przyjaciółka" and "100 rad" (Bauer Publishing House), as well as "Głos Seniora," which will regularly publish editorials on the methods used by scammers. Partners also include Radio Pogoda, which features interviews with experts.
The campaign is being broadcast on partner screens – the Helios cinema network, Jetline Digital OOH, Poczta Polska, and PKP SA, as well as on TV Puls and Puls 2. Joint efforts with partners will continue until the end of 2024 and will also be supported by the Polish Association of Rural Housewives' Circles, the Polish Association of Retirees, Pensioners, and Disabled Persons, and the National Federation of Third Age Universities. The campaign is also being broadcast at Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) offices, health resorts, and on public transport in selected cities across Poland.