Seeing is No Longer Believing
AI-generated deepfakes are powering a new wave of highly convincing scams. Learn how they work, how to spot them, and protect yourself and your loved ones.
Common Deepfake Scams
Voice Cloning (Grandparent Scam)
Scammers use a short audio clip from social media to clone a family member's voice. They call claiming to be in an emergency (jail, accident) and demand immediate funds via gift cards or wire transfer.
CEO Fraud (BEC)
Using deepfake audio or video on a live Zoom call, scammers impersonate a company executive. They instruct employees to urgently wire corporate funds to a "new vendor" or "secret acquisition" account.
Celebrity Endorsements
Highly realistic videos of celebrities (like Elon Musk or news anchors) are generated promoting fake cryptocurrency giveaways or miracle health products. These are spread heavily via social media ads.
The Golden Rule
If an interaction involves urgency, secrecy, and a demand for unusual payment methods (crypto, wire, gift cards), it is almost certainly a scam—no matter who they look or sound like.
How to Spot a Deepfake
Unnatural Blinking & Eye Movement
Deepfakes often struggle with realistic blinking. The eyes might not blink at all, blink too frequently, or look in unnatural directions.
Audio/Visual Sync Issues
Pay close attention to the mouth. Does the lip movement perfectly match the audio? Often, words will sound slightly delayed or the mouth shape will look wrong for the sound.
Glitches Around Hands & Objects
AI struggles with occlusion. If a person passes their hand over their face, or holds an object, the "face mask" may blur, tear, or glitch out momentarily.
Metallic or Flat Voice
Cloned audio often lacks proper emotional inflection, breathing sounds, or might have a slightly robotic, metallic resonance in the background.
The Verification Test
If you suspect a video call is a deepfake, ask the person to:
- Turn their head left and right
- Pass a hand across their face
- Ask them a personal "safe word" or memory
Live deepfake filters will usually break or glitch during complex movements.
Can You Spot the Scam?
Test your ability to identify deepfake-driven fraud.
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