Beware: Fraudsters Leveraging AI To Impersonate Your Contacts To Obtain Funds

Scammers are utilizing various methods to deceive people through WhatsApp, and the most recent tactic involves the use of AI in the form of deepfake videos. These scammers are employing deepfake video calls to trick individuals into believing they need to make urgent payments for emergency situations.

The scam claimed its first victim when a 72-year-old man in Kerala was duped of Rs 40,000 using a deep fake WhatsApp video call. According to media reports, the FIR lodged by the police in Kozhikode City following a complaint by PS Radhakrishnan says that he received a text message from his supposed friend. The victim also received a WhatsApp call from the same person asking for urgent money for emergency care. The victim was unsure of the caller’s identity, so he asked a supposed friend to make a video call to his number. According to the police report, the victim received a call that lasted only 30 seconds, during which she saw a close-up of the scammer’s face.

The victim mentioned that the call went well and he was satisfied with the identity of the caller. He then transferred Rs 40,000 to his account through UPI and so far he did not suspect any wrongdoing. However, the scammer decided to try his luck again and asked for money once more, causing Radhakrishnan to have doubts.

Now he decided to call the actual person who apparently called him to ask for money. Much to his surprise, the friend denied asking for money or calling him asking for money. In this case, the victim realized that he had been cheated and the person had managed to get money with his consent.

AI Deepfake Attacks via WhatsApp: A definite concern

The darkest form of AI is deepfake, and from this case it’s clear that scammers are now using this technique to trick people into sending them money. Deep fakes are easily created with freely available online tools that allow you to create the face of a friend or family member and use it to scam people and ask them for money under the guise of a medical emergency. In fact, such scams also happen by using a famous person’s photo (taken from their social media account) and asking people in their contact list for money. There are a lot of such cases today, but they are completely avoidable if the user is active and aware of countering such attacks.

WhatsApp DeepFake Video Scam: How To Avoid Falling For It

Like every online scam these days, the deepfake video scam is also preventable. You just need to follow the basics and be aware of the person you are messaging/talking to, here are the tips

Never talk to people without knowing their true identity

Always check the number of the person who calls you about money

If you see a famous person’s profile picture on WhatsApp asking for money, call them immediately and check if they have made the request

Before sending money through UPI, always check the account/mobile number to which you are sending the amount