Scammed by Deepfake
Sep 29, 2023
I’m super sick of scams, email, phone, SMS, LinkedIn, socials, they’re absolutely everywhere.
But, for the most part, I still feel safe, in control and protected…
Until I heard how Deepfake is transforming scams!
DeepFake
Most of you would have seen the “Deepfake” version of Tom Cruise - where AI enhancements mean that anyone can pretend to be Tom Cruise. This technology makes you look and sound like Tom Cruise, yes, even as a woman.
Deepfake can be a bit of fun, but there is a very big and very real dark side to Deepfake, and the combination of Deepfake technology and scams really scares me.
Scams using Deepfake
Australians reportedly lost $3.1B in 2022, which is in threat of booming in 2024.
Currently, most phone scams are successful only because fraudsters are pretending to be your bank, the tax department, your accountant or another credible source.
But the latest innovation is fraudsters calling you and Deepfaking your partner, parents or kids’ voice.
All they need is a few social media posts that include your loved ones, your phone number (which apparently is pretty easy to get these days) and access to Deepfake technology.
Then, they call you, pretend to be your loved one needing you to transfer money to get them out of a bind, and hey-presto…they have your money.
There are many cases of this occurring, but for the most part, it hasn’t gone mainstream...yet.
There’s even been Deepfake cases with high profile people (celebs, CEO’s, etc.) being scammed. A British CEO transferred $300k as a result of this scam (using voice simulation software).
Frighteningly, it is expected to become even more common in the coming years. Eep.