An AI Video Showed Alphonso Davies’ Father Getting Arrested — It Was Built to Sell Illegal Gambling
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CA$3M
Fake "Winnings" Claimed
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10,000+
Similar Ads Tracked in One Year
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2
Real People Deepfaked in One Ad
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High
Fooled Index
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FABRICATED AD — No arrest happened. No winnings existed. The family says so directly.
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In September 2026, an Instagram account called Prime Spin Zone ran an AI-generated video ad falsely depicting Alphonso Davies' father being arrested by Edmonton police officers after they discovered a vault containing roughly CA$3 million. The ad then shows the arrest resolved as a misunderstanding once the money is confirmed to be legal gambling winnings, followed by an AI-generated version of Davies' father personally encouraging viewers to play at the same online casino. A deepfake likeness of Canadian rapper Drake also appeared in the ad, lending it a false sense of legitimacy. Clicking through led users to Oxibet, an offshore gambling site based in Comoros with no license to operate in Alberta.
Davies' agent, Nedal Huoseh, told the Edmonton Journal the family has no connection whatsoever to gambling or alcohol advertising and said they intend to pursue those responsible. "They don't gamble," Huoseh said. "And Alphonso does not do anything with betting or gambling sites whatsoever." He noted this wasn't the first time Davies' image had been misused this way; a 2023 ad used a real photo of Davies without permission, though this new version escalated to a fully fabricated AI video of his father.
This isn't an isolated incident targeting one athlete. According to deepfake-detection firm Revelum, at least 10,000 similar scam ads impersonating professional soccer players circulated over a recent 12-month period, with activity surging sharply during the 2026 World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo alone was targeted with more than 1,300 confirmed fake ads.
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The family directly denied it. Davies' own agent confirmed to a real newspaper that neither Davies nor his father have any connection to gambling promotion.
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A second celebrity was deepfaked too. Drake's likeness also appeared in the same ad, a common tactic where multiple fake endorsements are stacked together to seem more convincing.
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The casino itself wasn't even licensed. Oxibet has no authorization to operate in Alberta, meaning the entire ad was steering people toward an unregulated gambling site.
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It's part of a documented, massive pattern. Detection firms tracked over 10,000 similar deepfake ads targeting professional soccer players in a single year, with Ronaldo alone hit over 1,300 times.
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🚨 100% AI-Generated
Alphonso Davies' father was never arrested, never won gambling money, and never endorsed any casino. The entire video was AI-generated to funnel people toward an unlicensed offshore gambling site, using a fabricated crime story and a second celebrity's fake likeness to make it feel real.
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Cristiano Ronaldo Never Endorsed a Cryptocurrency Called USWR
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During the 2026 World Cup, a video spread showing what appeared to be Cristiano Ronaldo personally endorsing an investment in a cryptocurrency called USWR. The video was entirely fabricated, with Ronaldo's real audio replaced by AI-generated speech he never actually said, and the site it promoted falsely claimed an official connection to the tournament that didn't exist. Deepfake-detection firm Revelum found Ronaldo was hit with more than 1,300 confirmed fake ads during the tournament window alone, and other stars, including Neymar and Luis Díaz, saw their own daily deepfake ad rates spike by as much as 1,700% once the World Cup began.
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YOUR REALITY DETECTOR TOOLKIT |
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Today’s Skill: Check If the Family or Agent Has Responded Publicly
A real representative's direct denial is one of the strongest signals available.
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Check if the family or agent has responded publicly
Davies' agent directly denied the ad to a real newspaper. When an athlete or public figure appears in a surprising promotion, look for a direct response from their actual representatives.
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Notice a second celebrity added just for credibility
Drake's likeness showed up in the same ad purely to make the Davies fabrication feel more believable. Stacking multiple fake endorsements together is a common scam tactic.
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Check if the promoted platform is even legitimate
Oxibet wasn't licensed to operate where the ad was targeting people. Verifying whether a promoted platform is actually authorized can expose a scam before you ever get to the celebrity angle.
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