71-year-old Richard Wilkins, a well-known media personality, is being targeted by scammers again. This time, they’re spreading a false photo online that appears to show him being arrested.
A photo shows the Channel Nine presenter being escorted away in handcuffs by two police officers.
The image shows a convincingly realistic, but artificial, depiction of Wilkins. He appears worn out and upset, and was likely created using artificial intelligence.
Over the past two years, the Today show host has been repeatedly targeted by people creating and sharing embarrassing fake images online.
As a lifestyle commentator, I have to say, it was quite shocking to see images circulating on Facebook in 2023 of Wilkins’ arrest in a Sydney park. The photos were really unsettling, and quickly spread across the platform.
The fabricated image depicts the TV personality, who normally dresses sharply, wearing casual clothes: baggy jeans, a navy T-shirt, a hoodie, and a puffer jacket.
Two officers are holding Richard’s arms behind his back, while a third officer seems to be writing a report.
The photo isn’t genuine. It’s a realistic-looking image created by AI, with Richard’s face added onto the body of someone being arrested.
Wilkins later called in the lawyers after the fake photo went viral on social media.
While the image was clearly fake, many Facebook users fell for it.
In March 2023, after his son Christian pointed out a fake image being shared online, Richard discussed the prank on the 2GB radio show, Ben Fordham Live.
‘I don’t know what to do about it. This has been going on for some time,’ he said.
Wilkins revealed his image had also been used without his permission in a financial scam.
He stated that the events in question never occurred and were entirely false. He found it unsettling to consider anyone making investment decisions based on his recommendations and hoped that wasn’t the case.


Even after reaching out to Nine’s lawyers and Meta (Facebook’s parent company), the problem has continued to escalate.
Other fake images of the Nine star emerged with the caption ‘His career ended’.
Christian, his son, quickly let his Instagram followers know the photo claiming their father’s arrest was fake, and assured everyone he was okay.
Wilkins appeared upset and explained that while ‘deepfake’ photos of celebrities are often seen as jokes, this particular one was deeply upsetting to him.
He shared on Today Extra that he’d gotten hundreds of messages from fans worldwide who believed the arrest photo was real.
Wilkins explained that the widely shared photo of his supposed ‘arrest’ was actually part of a complex scam designed to steal money from people on Facebook, especially those easily targeted.
He said he’s received countless messages and comments from people globally asking what’s happening.
Although many believe it’s a scam, this situation has caused further problems. It’s resulted in web links circulating that falsely claim I’ve been sued by the Bank of Australia for providing bad financial advice.
People are receiving links to investment opportunities, and I’m really worried about someone losing money because they think I recommended those investments.
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2025-10-14 11:34