Le Creuset fake celebrity giveaway & 90%-off clearance scam

A network of scam operations runs AI-deepfake video ads on Facebook and Instagram (plus TikTok) showing celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Oprah, Martha Stewart and Ree Drummond claiming Le Creuset is giving away free cookware for a small shipping fee. Clicking the ad leads to counterfeit "news" pages spoofing MSN, BuzzFeed and People; the "$10 shipping" quietly enrolls victims in a recurring subscription that bills $89+ within days. A parallel version advertises fake "90% off clearance" storefronts that take payment and ship counterfeits or nothing while harvesting card and personal data. Le Creuset and every celebrity shown are impersonated without consent — Le Creuset has published its own scam warning.

Fake endorsement · advertising since 2023

“This is a celebrity-deepfake subscription trap wearing Le Creuset's name — the "free" cookware never comes, but the recurring charges do.”

Our opinion, based on the public evidence below, as of 20 Jul 2026. How we work & right of reply →

The evidence — every signal, shown

Identity & legitimacy

Le Creuset is an impersonated victim
Le Creuset is being impersonated, not doing the scamming: it published an official scam warning and told CBS News it 'does not have any kind of partnership with Taylor Swift... That is a scam and we're working diligently to have those posts taken down.'
Depicted celebrities are impersonated victims
The celebrities shown (Taylor Swift, Oprah, Martha Stewart, Ree Drummond and others) never endorsed the giveaway; Ree Drummond publicly warned her fans the AI videos are fake, per CBS News and the AI Incident Database.

Payment

'$10 shipping' hides a recurring subscription
After victims enter card details to cover a '$10 shipping fee' for the 'free' cookware, they are silently enrolled in a recurring subscription (per the AI Incident Database), with initial charges of $89+ hitting cards within days and monthly charges continuing indefinitely, per MalwareTips.

Dropship & impersonation

Parallel fake '90% off clearance' storefronts
A companion scam advertises fake Le Creuset 'clearance' sites promising up to 90% off; buyers receive counterfeits or nothing while the checkout harvests card and personal data, per MalwareTips.

Ad behavior

AI-deepfake celebrity video ads on Meta
Fraudulent ads use AI-generated deepfakes of celebrities (Taylor Swift, Oprah, Martha Stewart, Ree Drummond and others) claiming Le Creuset is giving away cookware; they ran as sponsored posts on Facebook/Instagram (Meta) and TikTok, per CBS News and the AI Incident Database.
Redirects to spoofed MSN/BuzzFeed/People pages
Clicking the ads sends users to elaborate fake news articles built to look like MSN, BuzzFeed and People Magazine to lend the phony giveaway false credibility, per MalwareTips.

Complaints

No product, no refund, ongoing charges
Victims report the 'free' cookware never arrives and refunds are refused through fake customer-service contacts, while the unauthorized monthly charges continue until the card is cancelled, per MalwareTips.

Review authenticity

Classic fake-storefront red flags
The fake sites carry lookalike/misspelled domains, countdown timers, implausible discounts over 50% and missing contact pages; Le Creuset urges buying only from its official website, boutiques or authorized stockists.

Sources

Reader reports — verified purchases only

Every report below came with an order confirmation or receipt we checked by hand. This is separate from our editorial verdict above — testimony from real buyers, not a star-rating that anyone can botch or buy.

Been burned by Le Creuset fake celebrity giveaway & 90%-off clearance scam?

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This verdict is our opinion, based on the public evidence shown above, as of the date published. If you represent this company and believe something here is wrong, we want to hear it — request a correction.