Binance · AI used against the institution · severity 1 of 5
Binance chief communications officer Patrick Hillmann wrote on Binance's blog on 17 August 2022 that over the previous month a "sophisticated hacking team" had used his past news interviews and TV appearances to create a "deep fake" of him, which crypto project teams believed they had met to discuss listing their tokens on Binance. The post was titled "Scammers Created an AI Hologram of Me to Scam Unsuspecting Projects". Hillmann told The Verge that at least four groups said they had a call with someone using his likeness and that he had seen only a still capture; The Verge noted there was no hard evidence a deepfake was used. Binance reported no losses and said it could not know the scam's extent because it took place outside its platform.
Record last reviewed Oct 21, 2026 · Markdown
Date
Jul 2022 · disclosed Aug 17, 2022
Institution
Binance
Country
Several countries
AI system
Video deepfake (described by Binance as an "AI hologram") built from past TV interviews
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
At least four crypto project teams reported calls with someone using Hillmann's likeness, per Hillmann; no losses reported · Binance said there was no way to know the extent of the scam because it happened outside its ecosystem.
What happened?
In a 17 August 2022 Binance blog post, Hillmann wrote that over the past month he had received several messages thanking him for meeting project teams about listing their assets on Binance.com, although he had no oversight of listings and had not met them. "It turns out that a sophisticated hacking team used previous news interviews and TV appearances over the years to create a 'deep fake' of me," he wrote, adding that it "was refined enough to fool several highly intelligent crypto community members."[1]
According to The Register, the post included a screenshot of a project manager asking Hillmann to confirm it had been him on a Zoom call, to which he replied "That wasn't me". The Verge reported that this screenshot was the only direct evidence offered, with the other party saying "they impersonated your hologram".[2][3]
Asked by The Verge for more detail, Hillmann said he had "only seen a still capture of the supposed deep fake", that it was being withheld on investigators' advice to avoid copycats, that at least four groups had told him they had a call with someone using his likeness, and that Binance's cyber investigations team was looking into it. The Verge's headline said there was "no hard evidence that deepfakes were used".[3]
Hillmann framed the calls as an advance-fee scheme: projects were promised a Binance listing but "asked to pay some money first". He also cited a recent spike in impersonation of Binance staff on Twitter, LinkedIn and Telegram.[1][2]
When did it happen?
- Jul 2022
In the month before his 17 August post, crypto project teams contact Hillmann thanking him for listing meetings he never took part in, according to the post.[1]
- Aug 17, 2022
Hillmann publishes "Scammers Created an AI Hologram of Me to Scam Unsuspecting Projects" on Binance's blog.[1]
- Aug 23, 2022
The Register and The Verge report the claim; Hillmann tells The Verge at least four groups reported calls and Binance's investigators are looking into it.[2][3]
What was the impact?
- Customers: At least four crypto project teams reported calls with someone using Hillmann's likeness, per Hillmann; no losses reported[3]
- Other: Binance said there was no way to know the extent of the scam because it happened outside its ecosystem.[3]
Severity 1 of 5: Contained: impersonation attempts aimed at crypto projects outside Binance's platform, with no losses reported and no footage released.
How did Binance respond?
Binance published the warning itself. Hillmann urged users and projects to check contacts with the Binance Verify tool, report suspicious accounts to Binance Support and apply for listings only through the official link on Binance.com, and told The Verge Binance's cyber investigations team was looking into the case: "Our hope is to prevent other projects from falling prey to these types of scams."[1][3]
What was the outcome, and did regulators act?
No footage was released, no losses were quantified and no arrests or regulatory action tied to the impersonation had been reported as of 2026-10-21.[2][3]
Did scammers really deepfake a Binance executive on Zoom?
Binance's chief communications officer Patrick Hillmann said so in an August 2022 blog post, and at least four project teams told him they had met someone using his likeness. The Verge reported there was no hard evidence a deepfake was used: Hillmann had only seen a still capture, which Binance did not release.
Was any money lost in the Binance deepfake listing scam?
No losses were reported. Hillmann described an advance-fee scheme in which projects were asked to pay money first for a promised Binance listing, but Binance said it could not know the scam's extent because it happened on outside platforms such as Telegram and LinkedIn.
What did Binance do about the deepfake impersonation?
Binance published the warning, told users to check contacts with its Binance Verify tool, said listing applications should go only through the official link on Binance.com, and said its cyber investigations team was looking into the case. No arrests or follow-up findings have been reported.
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