Deepfakes leverage artificial intelligence to produce highly realistic yet fake videos or audio of people, making it seem like they are saying or doing things they never actually did. Deepfake technology is being used to scam people on live video calls, posing significant risks to individuals and organizations alike.
On a video call, how do you know if you’re speaking to the real person or an impersonator using deepfake technology? In a world filled with deepfakes, seeing is no longer believing, so understanding and combating the dangers they pose is more crucial than ever. For a deep dive into what exactly a deepfake is and how to spot them, check out our Deepfakes 101 post.
The Dangers of Deepfakes
In a recent Trend Micro study conducted in June 2024, 64% of people reported that they are very or extremely concerned with criminals using deepfakes to scam people1. Deepfake video calls in particular present a wide range of dangers, including identity theft and fraud, where scammers convincingly impersonate others for financial gain, as seen in a case where a Hong Kong finance worker was duped into transferring $25 million.
What’s particularly concerning about deepfake video calls is that cybercriminals can convincingly impersonate anyone—a friend, a new romantic partner, or a prospective employer—making it increasingly challenging to verify the true identity of the person you are communicating with.
Top Tips to Spot Deepfake Video Callers
Below are some best practices for identifying and mitigating the risks of deepfake video calls:
Be Skeptical
Adopting a skeptical mindset is a great practical real-time defense. When interacting with someone online or over video call:
- Ask questions that only the real person would know the answers to, or refer to a fake event or a made-up name of a friend. How they answer or respond will help confirm their identity.
- Trust your instincts. If something feels off—even if they look, sound, and act like someone you know—end the video call and contact the real person directly, ideally using another method of communication (phone call, for example).
- Additionally, be extra suspicious of out-of-the-blue requests for money or personal information, such as your Social Security number or bank details. As a rule, never send money or share personal information with anyone without properly verifying their identity. Remember, a stranger could be impersonating someone you know.
Use Technology to Spot Deepfakes
Deepfakes are becoming increasingly sophisticated, making it difficult for humans to tell the real from the fake. Our newly launched tool, Trend Micro Deepfake Inspector, can help you verify the identities of people on video calls in real time, ensuring they are not using deepfake technology to alter their appearance. Best of all, this brand-new tool is completely free! Click the button below to learn more and download Trend Micro Deepfake Inspector today.
Download Trend Micro Deepfake Inspector It’s free Download Trend Micro Deepfake Inspector It’s free
Don’t Overshare Online
Be cautious about the information you share online, as oversharing could arm scammers with information they could use to deceive you.
Report Suspected Deepfakes
If you encounter a suspected deepfake designed to scam you, defraud you, or steal your identity, report it to the relevant authorities, such as your local police department and consumer protection agencies (the Federal Trade Commission, if you live in the USA, for example), and to the platform where you saw it. Prompt reporting can help mitigate the spread of fake content and protect others from being deceived by the deepfake.
Challenging, But Not Unsolvable
There’s no doubt about it, deepfakes pose significant challenges to our privacy, security, and society in general. However, with the right critical mindset, ongoing education, and tools (like the brand-new Trend Micro Deepfake Inspector), we can all effectively mitigate the risks and protect ourselves from potential harm.
To learn more about Trend Micro Deepfake Inspector and how it can help you spot people using AI to alter their appearance on video calls, click the button below.
Download Trend Micro Deepfake Inspector It’s free Download Trend Micro Deepfake Inspector It’s free
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1 Trend Micro Snap Study – Consumers and Deepfakes, Conducted June – July 2024, US & Australia, N=2097
Avril Ronan is Global Program Manager of the Internet Safety for Kids and Families Program at Trend Micro. Avril is best known for working in community; engaging students, parents, educators and senior citizens in the conversation about online safety. The ultimate goal of each conversation is to empower people to be online in safe, responsible and successful ways. As a regular public speaker, Avril collaborates with academia, law enforcement, industry and government having coordinated and delivered programs to date around the world such as What's Your Story?, Cyber Academy (now in 19 languages), and the #StayAtHome
Webinar Series.