A fake image of NatWest CEO Paul Thwaite is circulating online. It shows him next to journalist Emily Maitlis, designed to look like a BBC radio interview. It’s not real.
The deepfake was posted on X. The caption falsely claimed a discussion about Thwaite’s salary — which jumped 33% to £6.6 million since 2024. NatWest is working with social media platforms to get the image taken down. The bank says these scams are designed to defraud vulnerable people.
Thwaite isn’t alone. Similar deepfakes have targeted Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey and other top banking figures. AI tech keeps getting cheaper and more accessible. That’s fueling a boom in deepfake creation — now a multi-billion dollar industry.
The threat to the financial sector is real. Fraudsters use fabricated images, videos, and audio to trick people into handing over sensitive info or sending money where it shouldn’t go. A convincing fake photo of your bank’s CEO isn’t just creepy. It’s a weapon.
The message from the bank is straightforward: if you see something that looks off, it probably is.
