Apple’s legendary co-founder Steve Wozniak has once again found himself at the center of a bizarre and troubling trend-digital identity fraud driven by deepfakes and stolen images. In a CBS News segment aimed at exposing cryptocurrency scams, Wozniak warned viewers about schemes where fraudsters use his likeness without consent to lure victims into sending Bitcoin with the false promise of doubling their money. 
Instead, the funds vanish instantly, leaving some victims stripped of their savings.
Wozniak, who already sued YouTube in 2020 for allowing scam videos featuring his image, spoke alongside his wife, Janet Hill, about how victims often genuinely believe he’s behind these schemes. Though his lawsuit was dismissed in 2021, the damage to both his public image and the wallets of unsuspecting people remains clear.
In an ironic twist, the CBS segment warning about fake Wozniak images accidentally used one itself-an animatronic figure from Disney’s EPCOT that resembled a younger Wozniak. While meant as a harmless visual, it underlined just how easily even reputable outlets can blur fact and fiction in today’s media landscape.
With deepfakes, morphing tech, and AI impersonations spreading fast, Wozniak’s warning is urgent: we can’t take everything we see at face value. Whether it’s social media posts, YouTube videos, or even televised news, the digital era demands a new level of skepticism. Verification and vigilance aren’t just for journalists-they’re for all of us who live, work, and trust online.