Russia tricks US actors into appearing in propaganda videos
Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood is one of the actors named in the report
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The platform, which gained massive popularity during the Covid-19 pandemic, allows users to request recorded messages from celebrities and other public figures in exchange for a fee.
Microsoft's report stated that the celebrities in the videos were likely asked by a Cameo user to send a message to someone named "Vladimir", pleading for him to seek help with alcoholism and drug use, unaware that their videos would be used in Russian propaganda.
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Microsoft said it has spotted seven such videos since July 2023, featuring celebrities like Priscilla Presley, Breaking Bad actor Dean Norris, The US Office actress Kate Flannery and Scrubs star John C McGinley.
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A spokesperson for Wood told media outlets that the actor was only answering a request through Cameo, and the video "was in no way intended to be addressed to Zelensky or have anything at all to do with Russia or Ukraine or the war".