Chinese AI Startup DeepSeek Faces Surge of Fake Accounts and Scam Websites Amid Rapid Popularity

DeepSeek Faces Surge of Fake Accounts and Websites Amid Rapid Popularity

Scammers are exploiting the sudden rise of DeepSeek, a Chinese AI start-up that has garnered global attention.

The Hangzhou-based company recently issued a warning, alerting the public to a wave of fake social media accounts and fraudulent websites impersonating the brand.

Fake Accounts Spreading on Social Media

DeepSeek clarified that it only operates three legitimate social media accounts: one each on China’s WeChat and RedNote platforms, and a third on X, previously known as Twitter.

The company explicitly stated that any social media groups charging fees under its name are fraudulent.

This announcement followed a rapid rise in interest surrounding DeepSeek’s AI models, particularly its V3 large language model and R1 reasoning model.

Despite the firm’s soaring success, it remains cautious about the proliferation of misleading online content.

The company has stressed that their app is free to download and all efforts to monetise the app through fraudulent channels must be avoided.

They also affirmed,

“We have not issued any cryptocurrencies.”

Scam Websites on the Rise

The surge in DeepSeek’s popularity has also given rise to over 2,600 fake websites created between December 2024 and February 2025.

These sites often engage in phishing, domain squatting, or traffic redirection, targeting unsuspecting users.

In some cases, the counterfeit sites promote scam crypto tokens, while others falsely claim to be selling shares in the company before its initial public offering (IPO).

Cyber-security firm Cyble revealed that these scam websites are designed to deceive users into connecting their cryptocurrency wallets.

One of the more insidious methods involves prompting users to scan QR codes, which can lead to hackers stealing their funds.

Some of the fake sites also offer downloadable apps that could contain malware, while others simply seek to collect personal information from visitors.

Scam Coins and Fake Shares Deceiving Investors

In its investigation, XLab, a Chinese security research firm, noted that these fake websites were not just phishing attempts, but also tools to scam investors into buying fake crypto coins or pre-IPO shares of DeepSeek.

The sheer scale of these fraudulent sites has raised serious concerns about the company’s ability to protect its growing user base.

In its official statement, DeepSeek urged the public to exercise caution and “stay vigilant to avoid being misled” by any suspicious accounts or websites claiming to be “representing” the company.

App Usage Surges, Server Capacity Strains

As the company’s AI assistant app continues to attract massive attention, with over 22.2 million daily active users (DAUs) in January, DeepSeek has seen a sharp rise in its website traffic.

In fact, according to data from traffic tracker SimilarWeb, DeepSeek.com recorded 277.9 million visits last month, surpassing Google’s Gemini chatbot.

However, despite its success, the company has faced server capacity issues.

In response, DeepSeek temporarily stopped developers from adding funds to their accounts to access the company’s models through APIs.

The firm clarified,

“Existing balances can still be used, but we’ve had to put a hold on additional top-ups due to server resource constraints.”

Impersonation of Founder Liang Wenfeng

To make matters worse, DeepSeek has also had to combat impersonation accounts pretending to be its founder, Liang Wenfeng.

A warning issued on X last week cautioned followers not to trust an account claiming to be Liang.

The company stated,

“This is a typical impersonation account.”

The fake account appeared to be spreading false information, contributing to the ongoing issues with misinformation surrounding the brand.

The rapid rise in DeepSeek’s visibility has placed it at the centre of a cyber fraud storm, as scammers capitalise on its success to deceive potential users and investors.