You see an ad with your favorite celebrity endorsing a product or maybe it’s the politician you want to see elected offering information on a current topic. Is it real? Maybe. But – more importantly, maybe not.
Scammers work to gain the trust of the scammee. If they can imitate a favorite celebrity or a favorite politician, they may have gotten your attention. You know they would not steer you wrong! You trust the “opinion” of that person, and, of course, you believe it’s really them! Scammers count on that.
Deep fake technology uses artificial intelligence to create a video or audio clip that is fake. It may be a face or a voice or both. “Face swaps” replace the face of someone in a video so the person on the video is saying something they did not say. This “synthetic content” is used to entice unsuspecting consumers to buy products that don’t exist and probably have no relation to the person that is faked. Misinformation is easily spread as people believe the comments or endorsements. This technology is becoming more sophisticated and it’s getting harder to distinguish what is legitimate.
Deep fake technology is also being used by scammers to impersonate corporate executives who are instructing employees to transfer funds or set up meetings. Smaller businesses and individuals are at risk as well.
Everyone is susceptible to deep fake technology. The consumer watching an ad on TV, the parent or grandparent who receives a call from the family member saying they are in trouble and need money (or worse yet, the scammer threatens to harm the family member unless they are paid), the voter who is getting information on the topic of the day, and small and large businesses. We are all potential targets.
What can you do? Learn about deep fake technology.
*Take a look at the video. Watch for rough edges or double images. Check the content. Unnatural blinking or no blinking, changes in video quality, and/or blurred images are signs.
*How is the quality of the audio? Choppy sentences, uneven syntax, odd phrasing, or noise that doesn’t match the background should arouse your suspicions.
*Don’t believe everything you see. This is true whether you’re online or reading the newspaper! We need to be cautious. Do your research.
*Know who you are talking to. Deep fake technology enables scammers to fake family, celebrities, or politicians. Don’t assume that the ‘voice’ belongs to who they say it does!
*Be careful what you post online. Scammers can deep fake with the photos and videos you post online. Scammers also get a lot more information from posts such as vacation plans, your children’s activities, and more.
*Protect your business accounts with multi-factor authentication.
*Train employees about deep fake technology.
*Don’t give in to “URGENT” requests. Take time to verify the contact’s identity or make the call to check on your family member.
Be careful. Scammers are getting more sophisticated and more technologically advanced. Don’t be their victim.
Stay safe.
