Fact-Check: Claim of Cameroonian PM Endorsing “FortuixAgent” AI Investment Program is Deepfake 

By: Mustapha Lawal

Claim: 

A sponsored Facebook video surfaced in June 2025, purportedly showing Cameroonian Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute endorsing a government-backed AI investment scheme called “FortuixAgent,” promising a monthly return of 1,763,000 XAF in exchange for a 150,000 XAF initial investment.

Verdict: 

False. The video is a sophisticated deepfake used to promote a fraudulent investment scam. There is no official “FortuixAgent” program, and the Prime Minister has made no such endorsement.

Background

In mid-June 2025, Facebook users in Cameroon began encountering a sponsored video that quickly went viral. The one minute and fifty-five second clip appeared to feature Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute speaking directly to viewers about a supposed government-supported Artificial Intelligence platform called “FortuixAgent.” In the video, Ngute allegedly announces that the program will select 4,000 citizens to receive a monthly income of 1,763,000 XAF, provided they make an initial deposit of 150,000 XAF. The message claims this is part of a broader strategy to use AI for national economic growth, positioning the scheme as an exclusive opportunity for patriotic Cameroonians.

The content struck a chord because of its appeal to economic aspiration at a time when many Cameroonians face deep financial challenges. According to World Bank data, about 38% of the population lives below the poverty line, while unemployment and underemployment remain persistently high. In such an environment, offers of high returns with minimal effort can seem irresistible, particularly when delivered in the familiar voice and image of a national leader. Yet this is also the exact set of conditions scammers exploit, using a combination of emotional appeal and trust in authority to bypass rational scrutiny.

Verification

A close frame-by-frame analysis of the viral video reveals that the backdrop is identical to footage from the Africa CEO Forum 2025, held in Abidjan in May. Prime Minister Ngute was indeed in attendance at the event, where he delivered remarks on regional economic cooperation and governance. However, publicly available recordings of his speech contain no mention of “FortuixAgent” or any similar initiative. The use of this background appears to be an intentional choice by the scammers to anchor the fake endorsement in a real and recognisable setting, exploiting the visual association between the Prime Minister and a respected international platform.

Beyond visual cues, a textual and audio analysis shows inconsistencies typical of AI-generated video manipulations. Lip movements in the clip occasionally fail to align perfectly with the audio track, particularly during complex syllables. There are also abrupt tonal shifts in the voice that suggest synthetic voice cloning. These indicators are consistent with the deepfake techniques now widely available to cybercriminal networks.

To establish whether “FortuixAgent” has any basis in fact, checks were conducted across multiple official channels. The official Prime Minister’s website (spm.gov.cm) contains no reference to the program, nor do recent press releases or speeches published by his office. The Ministry of Finance’s communications archive likewise contains no announcements of any AI investment platform. Cameroon’s official investment and public procurement bulletins, accessible through the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, also make no mention of such a project. If “FortuixAgent” were a legitimate, government-backed economic initiative, it would be expected to appear in these records, particularly given the claimed scale of financial commitment.

A further investigation into the web presence of the scheme reveals more suspicious signs. The link promoted in the video leads to a site that uses the likenesses of other prominent Cameroonian figures, such as politician Kah Walla and minister René Emmanuel Sadi, as supposed “beneficiaries” of the program. None of these individuals have publicly endorsed “FortuixAgent” or acknowledged any involvement. 

The site’s domain registration records show it was anonymously created in Reykjavik, Iceland, on 9 October 2024. There is no corporate registration number, verifiable physical office, or contact information beyond a generic web form. Cybersecurity reputation checks flag the domain as unsafe, with past associations to investment-related spam.

Expert opinion supports the conclusion that the investment returns claimed in the video are implausible. Bibi Stella, a data analyst interviewed by 237Check, described the figures as “generally unrealistic and extremely volatile,” noting that “systems like ‘FortuixAgent’ do not align with conventional investment logic” and lack any underlying economic mechanism that could sustain such payouts. This mirrors the classic pattern of a Ponzi scheme, in which early participants are paid with the capital of later recruits, inevitably collapsing once recruitment slows.

It is also important to note the structural vulnerabilities in the Cameroonian digital environment. Low levels of digital literacy, limited enforcement of cybercrime laws, and a rapid increase in smartphone adoption have made it easier for fraudulent campaigns to reach large audiences before being challenged. In the absence of prompt platform moderation, scammers are able to exploit paid advertising on social media to push their content directly into users’ feeds, bypassing the organic discovery process and lending the appearance of legitimacy through sponsored placement.

Conclusion

The claim that Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute endorsed a government-backed AI investment program called “FortuixAgent” is false. The video in circulation is a deepfake designed to lure unsuspecting viewers into a fraudulent investment scheme. There is no official record of such a program in government communications, and independent technical analysis confirms the audiovisual manipulation. The website associated with the claim is unverified, anonymously registered, and linked to deceptive promotional practices.

The claim’s spread is part of a wider trend in digital disinformation in Africa, where manipulated videos, including deepfakes, are increasingly deployed to legitimise fraudulent schemes. In recent years, online investment scams have moved beyond basic fake text ads and low-quality montages to employ realistic AI-generated speech and image synthesis, making it harder for the average viewer to detect manipulation without closer investigation. In this case, the scammers did not just rely on the Prime Minister’s likeness; they also embedded the claim within a familiar setting, apparently borrowing visuals from an unrelated high-profile international event to give the endorsement a veneer of credibility.

This case is a reminder that sophisticated disinformation tools such as deepfakes are now being used not only for political deception but also for financial fraud. Cameroonians are advised to verify any investment opportunity through official government sources before committing funds, and to treat unsolicited online offers, particularly those involving public figures, with extreme caution.