Richard Wilkins, 71, has once again become a target of online scammers after a fake photo of the media veteran being arrested emerged on the internet this week.
The Channel Nine presenter can be seen being taken away in handcuffs by two police officers in the dramatic image.
The fake Wilkins, dressed in a suit, looks particularly haggard and distressed in the image, which was likely produced using AI-generated technology.
The Today star has repeatedly been victimised by cruel pranksters over the last two years, who have produced similar embarrassing images and shared them online.
In 2023, a ‘disturbing’ image of Wilkins being arrested in a Sydney park was widely circulated on Facebook.
The fake image shows the usually elegantly attired TV personality in baggy jeans, a navy T-shirt layered with a hoodie and a puffer jacket.
Richard Wilkins , 71, has once again become a target of online scammers after a fake photo of the media veteran being arrested emerged on the internet this week (pictured)
Two of the police officers hold Richard’s arms while he has his hands behind his back, and a third officer appears to be filing a report.
But the photo isn’t all it appears to be – the realistic-looking photo is actually an AI-generated image which has Richard’s face edited on the body of a man being arrested.
Wilkins later called in the lawyers after the fake photo went viral on social media.
While the image was clearly fake, many Facebook users fell for it.
After his son Christian alerted his followers to the doctored image back in March 2023, Richard spoke to 2GB’s Ben Fordham Live about the prank.
‘I don’t know what to do about it. This has been going on for some time,’ he said.
Wilkins revealed his image had also been used without his permission in a financial scam.
‘It never happened. It’s complete BS. The thought of anyone investing in anything because I was recommending it is quite disturbing, and I’d hate to think that was happening,’ he added.
In 2023, a ‘disturbing’ fake image of Wilkins being arrested in a Sydney park was widely circulated on Facebook (pictured)
Other fake images emerged of Wilkins which he said were related to a financial scam
Despite seeking help from Nine’s legal team and contacting Facebook’s parent company Meta, the issue has only ‘gotten worse’.
Other fake images of the Nine star emerged with the caption ‘His career ended’.
His son Christian alerted his Instagram followers to the first fake photo, reassuring fans his father had not been arrested.
A visibly distressed Wilkins said at the time that ‘deepfake’ photos involving celebrities may seem funny and harmless, but this one was no laughing matter for him.
He revealed on Today Extra he had received hundreds of messages ‘from around the world’ from fans who thought the arrest picture was genuine.
Wilkins said the viral photo of his ‘arrest’ was particularly concerning because it formed part of an elaborate financial scam targeting vulnerable Facebook users.
‘I’ve had literally thousands of comments and messages from people around the world saying, “Hey, what’s going on?”‘ he said.
‘And while most people think that it’s dodgy and a fake, these things lead to other stuff. These lead to [web] links, and I’ve supposedly been sued by the Bank of Australia for giving incorrect financial advice.
‘It’s sending people links to where they can invest and stuff. The thought of someone losing [money] or investing in anything that I’ve supposedly recommended is what really upsets me.’
