Instagram Removes Fake Celebrity Accounts Promoting Illegal Betting in Brazil

Brazilian authorities and Meta’s Instagram platform have removed dozens of fake social media accounts impersonating celebrities and promoting illegal gambling services, as part of a growing crackdown on unlicensed betting in the country.

According to recent reports, “Instagram”-parent company Meta Platforms, Inc. took action after identifying clusters of deceptive profiles that used celebrity images, AI-manipulated videos and false endorsements to drive users to black-market betting platforms. Some of these fake accounts leveraged widely-followed Brazilian influencers’ likenesses to lend credibility to illicit offers.

One major scandal involved a criminal ring that created AI deep-fakes of celebrities such as Gisele Bündchen to promote gambling or fake giveaways. Investigators found that more than R$20 million (approx. US $3.9 million) had been generated through these operations.

Brazil’s regulatory enforcement has been increasing. The national betting inquiry, the “CPI das Bets”, flagged influencers and fake celebrity accounts as key vectors for illegal gambling marketing. Law-enforcement sources said many victims of these schemes lost small amounts of money and rarely reported them, enabling the growth of such networks.

Instagram stated that the removed accounts violated its policies on deceptive promotions and misuse of public figures. Meta said it operates “specialised systems to detect celeb-bait accounts” and works with local regulators to block fraudulent offers.

Despite the clean-up, authorities warn that the underlying problem remains widespread: thousands of fake accounts and gambling offers continue to operate on social media or via messaging apps, making regulation and consumer protection challenging. Analysts say Brazil may need stricter rules on influencer marketing and platform accountability to effectively curb black-market gambling.