Bruno Fernandes deepfake used by illegal betting site to dupe punters

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has become the target of an elaborate scam by an unlicensed betting operator, which used an AI-generated deepfake video to falsely suggest he had endorsed its platform. According to the Guardian, the Vietnamese sportsbook QH88 went as far as fabricating a fake BBC news story and building an entire website around a fictitious partnership with the Portugal international.

The Guardian reports that Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham was also targeted by a separate illegal operator, Nightwin, which ran Instagram adverts pushing a made-up story attributed to the BBC announcing a supposed “Bellingham Bet” app. The advert used a logo incorporating a stylised version of Bellingham’s signature, similar to that used by his kit sponsor Adidas, and directed users through a fake app listing before redirecting them to Nightwin’s actual gambling platform.

Offshore operators exploit player image without consequence

The Guardian explains that unlicensed betting operators have long used club crests and photographs of star players without regard for image rights, since they operate almost exclusively from offshore jurisdictions where the true owners of the businesses are shielded by local regulations and layers of shell companies. Legal threats are largely futile against firms that exist only as entries on registries hidden from public scrutiny.

According to the report, Nightwin can be accessed and used to register an account within the UK without needing a VPN, despite no such operator appearing in the Gambling Commission’s register of licensed businesses. The Guardian states that Nightwin is licensed only in Curaçao, a jurisdiction with a long history of hosting dubious gambling operators, having been launched this year by a company incorporated there in 2024 which secured its gaming licence in September 2025.

Fifa rules protect active players from association with betting

The article notes that until now, illegal casinos had typically recruited retired footballers as “global ambassadors” because active players remain bound by article 27 of the Fifa code of ethics, which bars footballers, coaches and officials from benefiting from any association with sports betting, whether the operator is licensed or not. Breaching this rule can result in fines and bans for players still involved in the game.

The Guardian cites the case of Yerry Mina, who was fined £10,000 by the Football Association in 2019 while at Everton after appearing in a television advert for the Colombian sportsbook Betjuego. Using the identities of Fernandes and Bellingham without their knowledge or consent marks a further escalation, given that neither man has any actual connection to the operators involved.

Fake ads vanish, but the trail runs cold

The Guardian reports that the “Bellingham Bet” adverts on Instagram were removed within days, leaving only screenshots as evidence, and Bellingham appears to have escaped the worst of the scam. Fernandes has been less fortunate, with QH88 investing considerably more resources into producing a convincing AI-generated video purporting to show the Manchester United captain endorsing the platform.

The paper’s investigation underlines how difficult it remains for players, clubs and regulators to hold offshore gambling operators to account, with registered addresses in jurisdictions such as Curaçao often leading nowhere once the trail is followed. For now, footballers whose likenesses are hijacked in this way have little recourse beyond hoping the fake campaigns are taken down quickly.

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