Rockford BBB Warns Of The “Bill Gates Brain Honey Scam”

I've been writing about scams targeting Northern Illinois residents for years.

Over time, I've seen fake IRS agents, phony sweepstakes winnings, romance scams, grandparent scams, and people pretending to be utility companies threatening to shut off your power.

But I have to admit, this may be the strangest scam warning I've ever come across. No, scratch that, it's definitely the strangest scam warning about the strangest scam I've seen yet.

The Rockford Regional Office of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning consumers about a rapidly spreading online scam involving Bill Gates, artificial intelligence, Alzheimer's disease, and... honey.

Seriously.

Getty Images

This Scam Is Being Perpetrated Under A Couple Of Names

The scam, sometimes called the "Bill Gates Brain Honey" or "Ancient Honey Ritual" scam, uses AI-generated videos and cloned voices to make it appear that famous public figures are promoting a miracle cure for memory loss, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease.

According to the BBB, the fake videos have featured people like Bill Gates, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Anderson Cooper, and Bruce Willis.

The videos are often professionally produced and designed to look like legitimate news reports, documentaries, or exclusive interviews. Viewers are told that Gates and his research team supposedly discovered an ancient honey-based formula capable of reversing brain aging and restoring memory.

Spoiler alert coming...

There's One Big Problem With These Videos

That would be that absolutely none of that information is true.

Dennis Horton, Senior Director of the Rockford BBB:

These ads are designed to look convincing and exploit the fears of individuals and families affected by memory-related illnesses. Scammers are using powerful AI tools to create realistic videos that falsely suggest trusted public figures are endorsing products that have no proven medical benefit.

The scammers then direct viewers to purchase supplements sold under various names, often with promises of limited-time offers and breakthrough discoveries.

Some consumers later discover recurring charges on their credit cards, difficulty canceling subscriptions, denied refund requests, and unwanted product shipments.

The BBB notes that there is currently no scientific evidence that honey-based supplements can cure, reverse, or prevent Alzheimer's disease, dementia, or significant memory loss.

It's pretty amazing what can be completely faked today: