The Dangers of Deepfakes and How to Prevent Fraud

In 2018, a video of former US President Barack Obama hurling insults at then President Donald Trump went viral. While it was a video of Obama, the creator Jordan Peele embedded his voice into the video to showcase the dangers of deepfakes.

Earlier this year, there was also a fake Biden robocall that went viral for falsely urging voters in New Hampshire to skip the primaries. The fake call done by Kramer convinced people that voting in the primary would bar voters from participating in the elections in November.

Even though these deepfakes were created as a wake-up call, they show just how much of a profound effect AI could have on society. Understanding how these deepfakes work and how to identify them remains imperative.

This blog will discuss what deepfakes are, how to identify them, their dangers, and how you can prevent deepfakes and other AI-powered frauds.

What are Deepfakes?

Deepfakes refer to seemingly real images, audio, or videos that have been expertly altered using Artificial Intelligence. It involves overlaying your face onto another person’s body in images or videos that create realistic but entirely fabricated content.

This technology mimics nonverbal and verbal cues of a person such as their voice, facial expressions, and other subtle cues, making it difficult to discern the authenticity of the content created.

While deepfakes have the potential for entertainment and creative expression, they can cause significant risks such as identity theft, misinformation, and the erosion of trust.

How to Detect Deepfakes

Detecting deepfakes can be a challenge but some ways and techniques can help to identify them. No method is foolproof for deepfakes identification but combining several approaches improves the chances of detecting deepfakes successfully.

Technology advancements and research have helped in the enhancement of detecting and preventing the spread of manipulated media content. Here are some approaches to detecting deepfakes:

• Unusual Backgrounds: When detecting a deepfake, check the background or surroundings of the image or the video created. Things such as odd patterns and reflections that do not make sense or any other object or building that doesn’t belong to the scene can be a giveaway.
• Reverse Video or Image Search: You can use tools such as Google reverse image search or a specific deepfake detection software like Sentinel or WeVerify to check if the content created was previously uploaded by someone else on the internet.
• Visual Inspection: Carefully examine their facial expressions, unusual movements that may not be natural, blinking patterns, edges of their face, and lip sync errors. This helps to find the inconsistency of the video or image.
• Metadata Analysis: You can find clues in a digital file and whether it is tampered with or manipulated by reviewing the metadata. Checking the metadata of the image or video helps you uncover signs of editing or manipulation of the content.

The Dangers of Deepfakes

Deepfakes and AI-powered frauds have rapidly spread across most social media platforms, posing a threat to people, communities, and societies at large.

Whether political parties, content creators, or artists, no one is immune to the risk of being misrepresented through the proliferation of forged images and videos. As a result, the erosion of trust in social media has become an imminent threat worldwide.

Besides erosion of trust, deepfakes, and AI-powered frauds have had far-reaching damages including:

• Privacy Invasion: Deepfakes are used to manipulate videos and images created by individuals. This violates individuals’ privacy causing emotional stress.
• Dangers in Cybersecurity: Creating deepfakes requires advanced technical skills and resources. This can be exploited by malicious actors to steal sensitive information or launch cyberattacks.
• Identity Theft and Fraud: The technology impersonates an individual posing risks such as financial fraud, identity theft, and reputational harm. Replicating a person’s appearance and voice deepfakes are exploited by malicious actors to deceive others, resulting in strained relationships and reputational damage.
• Psychological Harm: Experiencing deepfakes, particularly those that contain disturbing material, can deeply affect individuals’ mental health, leading to heightened anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and a diminished sense of trust in interpersonal relationships.
• Misinformation and Fake News: Creating deepfakes may lead to convincing fake videos and images of public figures. This spreads false information and manipulates public opinion on political and social issues.

Tips to Combat Deepfakes and Other AI-Powered Fraud

As AI technology grows, so do deepfake scams evolve and become more complex to detect and deter. Companies need to implement new strategies every time to put up a strong and dynamic defense against AI-powered fraud.

Some working strategies to combat deepfakes and other AI-powered fraud include:

1.    Acknowledge that Threat Exists

The first step to combating deepfakes and all AI-powered frauds is to admit that no one is immune to these tricks. Acknowledge that even if you have not experienced cases of deepfakes, you remain a potential victim. So be vigilant and stay updated about all new AI-generated fraud strategies.

2.    Focus on the Fraudster rather than the Fraud

Fraudsters tend to create many acts of deepfakes at a time. It can be hard to catch up with all these acts. As such, the best way to combat AI fraud is to focus on the fraudster instead of the fraud itself. You can use analysis tools to identify attacks associated with particular fraudsters and protect yourself.

3.    Pay Attention to Available Signals

Paying attention to signals like visual, auditory, behavioral, and technological cues, can help you detect inconsistencies or suspicious patterns that indicate the presence of fraudulent activities. Checking signals can enable organizations to enhance their ability to identify and prevent risks posed by deepfakes and AI-powered fraud.

4.    Conduct Comprehensive Checks and Biometric Analysis

Conducting comprehensive checks of official documents or social media platforms and biometric analyses such as the use of fingerprints or voice patterns, enhances the ability to detect and prevent the risks posed by deepfakes and AI-powered fraud. This fortifies your defense against deception and exploitation in the digital landscape.

5.    Deploy Counter AI-Tools

Integrating deepfake detection AI tools like biometric authentication, detection algorithms, and image and video forensics analysis software in the verification of social media platforms, defends deepfakes and other AI-powered fraud. It safeguards the community from deception and exploitation in the digital age.

Conclusion

Deepfakes and AI frauds continue to advance taking center stage in digital fraud. Its dangers extend beyond identity theft to include spreading fake news that manipulates public opinion on political and social issues. Individuals, companies, and governments should put in place measures to identify and mitigate the risks and dangers of deepfakes.

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If you are a victim of Deepfakes and AI frauds, then you should contact iLOCK360 and take advantage of our identity theft system. We provide you with the utmost personalized protection for your identity and credit.

We monitor your personal and financial information and alert you of any suspicious or fraudulent activity. Our services also help you restore your identity and credit when stolen. Get in touch with us today for more information on the privacy and security of your social media accounts.