Trust trap: How millions are being stolen by deepfake video scams

Imagine this: George Clooney himself is sending you video messages every day; they are warm, endearing, and incredibly believable. When a woman in Argentina connected with "Clooney" on Facebook, she thought that. She engaged with him for six weeks, thinking it was the Hollywood star, and was entertained by his friendly, realistic videos. Then one day the pitch arrived: purchase a special card, become a member of a fan club, and have access to rare employment prospects. She deposited over Rs 11 lakh (roughly) because she trusted the Hollywood legend, only to find out—after contacting the FBI—that she had been tricked by an AI-generated deepfake.

February 2024: Arup, a global corporation based in Britain, loses $25 million as a result of deepfake fraud. To deceive an employee into making fraudulent wire transfers, fraudsters created a phony videoconference using deepfake technology.