AI Deepfakes Are Impersonating Pastors to Try to Scam Their Congregations

Father Mike Schmitz, a Catholic priest and podcaster, addressed his congregation of more than 1.2 million YouTube subscribers in November with an unusual kind of homily. You couldn’t always trust the words coming out of his mouth, Schmitz said, because sometimes they weren’t really his words—or his mouth. Schmitz had become the target of AI-generated impersonation scams.

“You’re being watched by a demonic human,” said the fake Schmitz in one video that the real Schmitz, wearing an L.L. Bean jacket over his clerical suit, included in his public service announcement as an example. “You must act quickly, because the spots for sending prayers are already running out,” said another fake Schmitz with a looming hourglass behind him. “And the next trip will only take place in four months.” The fake Schmitz sounded ever-so-slightly robotic as he urged viewers to click a link and secure ...