Warning: Online scams involving David Suzuki
By David Suzuki
Dear Editor,
The David Suzuki Foundation has been informed of several fake news stories, ads and videos circulating online that falsely claim to be endorsed by David Suzuki or the David Suzuki Foundation.
With the rise in AI-generated misinformation, it is increasingly difficult to determine if the content you see online is real or not.
These fake ads often link to websites selling products, sharing disinformation or promoting financial scams.
Neither David Suzuki nor the David Suzuki Foundation endorses or sells products or services. We will never appear in a news article, ad or video encouraging you to purchase specific products or services.
If you see something that looks like a news story, ad or video featuring such promotions, it is fake.
We have taken measures to notify authorities about the instances we’re aware of, but to protect you and the rest of our community from new ones, we need your help.
Here’s what you can do:
- Be wary — Is the content sensational? Headlines may connect David Suzuki or the David Suzuki Foundation to a scandal with another celebrity or public figure to capture your personal information or sell you a product or service.
- Question — Does the content over-promise? Stories and videos may include testimonials or comment sections with positive reviews endorsing the product or service. David Suzuki and the David Suzuki Foundation rely on evidence-based information to uphold scientific principles; we do not exaggerate claims or contribute to conspiracies.
- Inspect — Does something look or feel off? Pay attention to people in the video, studying if they look or sound digitally manipulated or if their features or movements seem incongruent or unnatural. It can be subtle. As AI-generated content becomes more sophisticated, it will become increasingly difficult to distinguish real from fake.
- Verify the source — Look carefully at the destination URL of any website you are directed to before clicking for more information. These fake-story links direct people to other products or services. Even when the content or logos on these pages resemble the real ones, the URLs may not match legitimate URLs for the news site or the David Suzuki Foundation website.
- Report it to the platform where you encountered the content.
- Share your concerns with the Competition Bureau of Canada via their complaint form.
- Contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. If you have already sent money to a scam, they may be able to provide further guidance about your situation
These fake news stories and online scams remind us of the importance of media literacy in this digital age. Fake news leads to political polarization, climate denialism, science skepticism and more. Improving everyone’s ability to tell the difference between real and false information is important to the Foundation’s ability to carry out our mission to protect nature’s diversity and the wellbeing of all life, now and for the future.
Thank you for helping stop the spread of misinformation.
The David Suzuki Foundation remains steadfast in our commitment to respect and safeguard our relationship with you, our valued supporters.
Sincerely,
Pierre Iachetti
Executive Director
