Beware of AI-Generated and Stolen Content on Fake Sports News Sites
When browsing sports news online, it's wise to scrutinize the URL closely to avoid deception by fake sites.
Spotting Counterfeit Sports Websites
Headlines like “Red Sox Urged to Risk Passing on Alex Bregman in Favor of $427 Million Superstar” may initially seem legitimate, borrowing familiar styling from renowned sources such as BBC Sports. However, upon closer examination, these headlines may originate from imitation sites such as "BBCSportss," potentially regurgitating content from reputable outlets like Sports Illustrated. Such sites often feature articles that, rather than being directly stolen, appear to be mangled adaptations compiled by artificial intelligence.
Investigation by DoubleVerify
DoubleVerify, a company specializing in tracking online ads and media analytics, recently reviewed more than 200 websites featuring possibly AI-generated content mixed with pirated article snippets from genuine media outlets. Their research highlighted that these sites frequently adopt domain names and web designs mimicking those of established media brands such as ESPN, NBC, Fox, CBS, and the BBC. These knockoff sites successfully masquerade as genuine sports news platforms.
“We did not approve the ‘BBC Sportss’ content, and it is in fact plagiarized,” commented Sports Illustrated spokesperson, Paige Graham.
The rise in fraudulent schemes exploiting these tactics is alarming, explains Dan Slivjanovski, DoubleVerify's Chief Marketing Officer. Many such schemes rely on bots, boosting pageviews to falsely indicate an increase in human readers, thereby generating ad revenue. However, DoubleVerify has also identified a surge in deceptive AI click farms—a network of sites filled with AI-generated content aimed at diverting both readers and advertising income from legitimate news outlets.
The "Synthetic Echo" Scheme
The fraud network, dubbed “Synthetic Echo” by DoubleVerify, utilizes copied content, AI-generated materials, or a combination of both. “It’s not even fake news. It’s just random slop,” expressed Gilit Saporta, the head of DoubleVerify’s fraud lab. Saporta pointed out that the interconnected design choices across these sites further emphasize their collective nature.
Reality Defender's Evaluation
For further analysis, WIRED collaborated with Reality Defender, a startup focusing on deepfake detection. They scrutinized websites from three Synthetic Echo domains. Their examination of recent posts from “NBC Sportz” revealed that the content, although attributed to "nbcsportz", was actually human-produced but pilfered from legitimate media, with original bylines removed.
One victim of this practice was the Detroit Free Press, which clarified that no permission had been granted for its content to be republished. “This content was not licensed by the Detroit Free Press and does not represent our brand or journalism,” stated Detroit Free Press spokesperson Lark-Marie Antón, noting their intention to pursue legal action.
Additionally, Reality Defender found that the stories from other domains like NBCSport.co.uk and BBCSportss.co.uk were largely AI-generated, confirming DoubleVerify’s findings.