Deepfake Video Scams
Scammers use AI-generated fake videos of celebrities, executives, or family members to manipulate victims into sending money or revealing sensitive information.
What is this scam?
Scammers create realistic fake videos using AI (deepfakes) to impersonate trusted individuals—CEOs, family members, celebrities, or government officials. These videos are used to:
- Request urgent wire transfers
- Solicit investments in fake opportunities
- Extract sensitive corporate information
- Manipulate victims emotionally
The technology has become frighteningly good, making these scams increasingly difficult to detect.
🔍How This Scam Works
- Target selection: Scammers identify high-value targets (executives, elderly family members)
- Data collection: Gather photos and videos from social media
- Deepfake creation: Use AI to generate fake video of target person
- Delivery: Send via video call, email, or messaging apps
- Urgent request: Create time pressure ("Wire money immediately")
- Exploitation: Victim complies before verifying authenticity
🚩Red Flags to Watch For
- •Video call with unusual audio quality or sync issues
- •Requests for urgent money transfers via video
- •Family member or executive asking for sensitive info via video
- •Uncharacteristic behavior or requests
- •Refusal to verify identity through alternate means
- •Pressure to act immediately without verification
- •Video quality that seems slightly "off" (uncanny valley effect)
🛡️How to Protect Yourself
- 1Establish a family code word for emergency verifications
- 2Never act on urgent financial requests without independent verification
- 3Call the person back on a known phone number (don't use number from suspicious message)
- 4Use multi-factor authentication for corporate approvals
- 5Train employees to recognize deepfake red flags
- 6Implement dual-approval processes for wire transfers
- 7Question any unusual request, even if the video looks real
- 8Look for artifacts: unnatural blinking, lip sync issues, odd lighting
📞If You've Been Targeted
If you've been scammed:
- Stop any ongoing transactions immediately
- Contact your bank to freeze accounts and reverse transfers if possible
- Report to law enforcement - FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
- Document everything - Save videos, messages, transaction records
- Notify your employer if it was a corporate scam
- Warn your network - Others may be targeted with the same deepfake
- Consider credit monitoring if personal information was shared
Don't blame yourself - These scams are sophisticated and fool even tech-savvy individuals.
🌍Report & Get Help
Report fraud and get support through these official resources in your country:
🇺🇸United States
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
Report cyber crimes including deepfake scams
📞 1-800-CALL-FBI
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Consumer protection and scam reporting
📞 1-877-FTC-HELP
🇬🇧United Kingdom
- Action Fraud
UK's national fraud and cybercrime reporting centre
📞 0300 123 2040
🇨🇦Canada
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
Report fraud and get support
📞 1-888-495-8501
🇦🇺Australia
- Scamwatch
Report scams to ACCC
Learn More
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