A “frustrated” David Koch has threatened legal action after being the subject of ongoing online scams, using AI-rendered images to fool Australians.
The former Sunrise co-host told radio host Ben Fordham the scams were “damaging” his reputation after taking to X (formerly Twitter) to urge authorities to take action.
The most recent scam shows an AI-generated image of Kochie, 67, appearing bruised across his face and right eye.
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Below the false image was the line: “This is the dark truth behind the incident.”
“I’m so frustrated with this that I’m looking into the possibility of defamation against social media platforms that run these ads because it’s damaging me,” Kochie told Fordham on 2GB radio.
“People are getting hoodwinked into this thinking ‘I’ve done this because you told me’.
“It’s all a massive scam using high-profile people and really trashing our reputation in the process.”
He explained that many Australians had reached out to him after falling for the scam, such as one woman who clicked on the link that appeared on her Bible app.
As a result, she was instantly scammed $10,000.
“It’s been happening for years but now it’s getting out of control,” he continued.
“I report and report to all the platforms. They tell me they take them down but then they come back like locusts.”
“I’ve had enough. It damages my reputation.”
The business journalist said that the platforms promoting the scams “have to be held accountable”.
“There’s a duty of care that the traditional media have in terms of making sure people aren’t hoodwinked and that’s got to be extended to the platforms.
“If these digital platforms can stop people posting because they’ve put up a rude picture or the content is offensive, why can’t they do the same thing with these ‘ads’?”
The conversation follows a tweet from the former Sunrise star on September 7, in which he shared a screenshot of the AI scam.
“WTF… land back in Sydney to this crap all over social media,’ he said.
“BEWARE this is a scam for those who don’t realise. When are the authorities going to crack down on the platforms carrying these scams?”
Kochie tagged both the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).
For the last few years, Kochie has had to take to his social media to share screenshots of the scams in the hopes of preventing some followers from falling for the ads.
Pinned at the top of his Instagram is a message from January 2023 showing two scams seen on both Instagram and RealEstate.com.au.
“Beware … 2023 and the financial scams keep on coming more than ever,” he wrote at the time.
“The one on the left came up on @realestateaus as I was scrolling the site.
“The one on the right was sent to me yesterday from @instagram.
“They are scams trying to con you by illegally using my image and attributing fictitious comments to me @acccproductsafety.”
Kochie’s final Sunrise broadcast was on June 5 after a 21-year tenure – making him Australia’s longest-serving breakfast television host.
Since his exit from breakfast TV, the journalist and businessman has been appointed as the new economic director of price comparison website Compare the Market.
He is also appearing on 7NEWS Spotlight, most recently on Sunday speaking with business magnate Richard Branson.
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