INTERPOL has launched an awareness campaign highlighting the growing risk posed by crime that uses AI-generated or AI-altered media to scam members of the public. The campaign features three short videos, themselves AI-generated, depicting how synthetic media, commonly known as ‘deepfakes’, can be used in scams.
Generative AI applications and the large language models that power them are becoming more sophisticated by the day, no longer requiring significant technical skills or investment. These tools can now convincingly reproduce the face or voice of a real person using a small amount of content found online, says the International Police Organization.
However, public understanding of how deepfakes can be used in crime remains low. According to Interpol, synthetic media crime, which was seen as a threat mainly to public figures, now increasingly targets private citizens through investment scams, impersonation, romance scams, sextortion, deepfake pornography, and disinformation.
The scammers exploit generative AI to mimic a video call from a supposed colleague requesting a bank transfer, a call from a family member in a difficult situation, or a seemingly genuine online relationship. The goal of the scammers is to steal sensitive personal information or money from their targets.
Toshinobu Yasuhira, Director of the INTERPOL Innovation Centre, said: “AI is erasing the tell-tale signs of a scam. Spelling mistakes, branding inconsistencies, clumsy formatting: these red flags are fast becoming a thing of the past.”
He also said that “anyone can fall victim to these scams, regardless of age, region, or sector. At INTERPOL, our work on this topic is designed to give law enforcement and the public the knowledge and resources they need to recognize these threats and act before the damage is done.”