Banco Popular Dominicano · AI used against the institution · severity 1 of 5
Banco Popular Dominicano said in a statement on 2 September 2025 that its teams had detected a fake video on social media in which generative AI was used to imitate the voice and some gestures of executive president Christopher Paniagua. According to the bank, the video invited people to register on a fraudulent platform and deposit money so the scammers could appropriate it. The bank said its cybersecurity team immediately activated contingency protocols to contain the situation, alert the authorities, secure the removal of the video and investigate its origin, as Diario Libre, Listín Diario and El Día reported. The bank did not disclose any losses, and none had been reported as of October 2026.
Record last reviewed Oct 21, 2026 · Markdown
Date
Institution
Banco Popular Dominicano
Country
Dominican Republic
AI system
Generative-AI video imitating the voice and gestures of the bank's executive president (tool not identified)
AI?
Described as AI by the institution or regulator
The institution, a regulator or a court called the system AI.
Status
Confirmed by the institution
Severity
1 of 5
Impact
Not disclosed; the bank gave no victim count or loss figure · A generative-AI video of the bank's executive president used to direct people to a fraudulent deposit platform.
What happened?
On Tuesday 2 September 2025 Banco Popular Dominicano's teams detected a video circulating on social media that impersonated its executive president, Christopher Paniagua. The bank said in a press release that "actores malintencionados utilizaron tecnología de inteligencia artificial generativa para imitar, de manera fraudulenta, la voz y apariencia de algunos gestos del presidente ejecutivo".[1][2]
According to the bank, the scammers used the video to invite people to register on a fraudulent platform and make deposits of money, "con el fin de apropiarse indebidamente de sus ingresos". The statement did not name the platform or the social networks involved, and did not say whether anyone had deposited money.[1][3]
The bank said its cybersecurity team immediately activated contingency protocols "para contener la situación, alertar a las autoridades, asegurar la eliminación de este contenido audiovisual falso e investigar su origen". Diario Libre, Listín Diario and El Día carried the statement the same day, and the OECD AI Incidents Monitor logged the event as an AI incident.[1][3][4][5]
When did it happen?
What was the impact?
- Customers: Not disclosed; the bank gave no victim count or loss figure[1]
- Other: A generative-AI video of the bank's executive president used to direct people to a fraudulent deposit platform.[1]
Severity 1 of 5: Contained impersonation lure: the bank detected the video the day it circulated and moved to have it removed; no losses, victim count or regulatory action have been disclosed.
How did Banco Popular Dominicano respond?
The bank said: "Inmediatamente, el equipo de seguridad cibernética activó los protocolos de contingencia para contener la situación, alertar a las autoridades, asegurar la eliminación de este contenido audiovisual falso e investigar su origen." It added that it "seguirá trabajando diligentemente para proteger su reputación ante este tipo de amenazas".[1][4]
What was the outcome, and did regulators act?
The bank said it had alerted the authorities and sought removal of the video. No arrests, results of the bank's investigation, losses or regulatory action connected to the video had been reported as of 21 October 2026.[1][3]
What happened with the fake Christopher Paniagua video?
On 2 September 2025 Banco Popular Dominicano said its teams had detected a social-media video in which generative AI imitated the voice and gestures of executive president Christopher Paniagua, inviting people to register on a fraudulent platform and deposit money so scammers could take it.
Was any money lost to the Banco Popular deepfake?
No losses have been disclosed. The bank's statement described the scam's aim of taking people's deposits but gave no number of victims or amount, and Diario Libre, Listín Diario and El Día reported none; no loss figure had been published as of 21 October 2026.
What did Banco Popular Dominicano do about the deepfake?
The bank said its cybersecurity team immediately activated contingency protocols to contain the situation, alert the authorities, secure the removal of the fake video and investigate its origin. No result of that investigation, arrest or regulatory action has been reported since.
- Banco Popular denuncia video falso con imagen de su presidente ejecutivo official
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- Banco Popular denuncia uso de IA para suplantar imagen de su presidente ejecutivo news
- AI-Generated Deepfake Used to Impersonate Bank Executive in Fraud Scheme incident index
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