AI, deepfakes and scams
We recently read in the news that the next level has been reached with deepfakes and scams. Deepfakes use learning algorithms to analyze and synthesize human’s gestures, facial expressions and lip movements and then apply them to another person in a manipulated video.
Imagine a video call where your boss asks you to transfer millions? Well, that has happened to a multinational company based in the United Kingdom. It has been scammed out of $26 million when its employees in Hong Kong made transfers believing they were on a video call with the executive board. Scammers used deepfake by collecting images and audios from social networks to simulate a video conference with managers. The employees, despite being surprised by the request, recognized the faces and voices of their superiors and made the transfer. It was not until days later that they realized the fraud and reported the facts to the police.
Imagine a video call where your boss asks you to transfer millions? Well, that has happened to a multinational company based in the United Kingdom. It has been scammed out of $26 million when its employees in Hong Kong made transfers believing they were on a video call with the executive board. Scammers used deepfake by collecting images and audios from social networks to simulate a video conference with managers. The employees, despite being surprised by the request, recognized the faces and voices of their superiors and made the transfer. It was not until days later that they realized the fraud and reported the facts to the police.
A constantly changing Digital World
In this frenetic digital world in constant transformation, the emergence of technologies such as deepfakes or artificial intelligence presents increasingly important challenges in terms of security. The ability to create fake content in a convincing way reaches new levels every day, requiring users to be always alert. Rapid evolution of these technological tools highlights the importance of staying well informed and adopting safeguards against any doubts about information authenticity.
Calls and messaging scams
Another potential source of scams and AI are phone calls. They are designed to generate calls that seem authentic. In addition, thanks to the cloning of voices through artificial intelligence systems, users are also beginning to receive calls that simulate almost perfectly the voice of their relatives in an attempt to obtain transfers or private data. We give you some key tips to differentiate any suspicious call:
Suspicious Prefixes: Some countries have telephone prefixes commonly associated with scams. For example, the +212 prefix in Morocco or the +967 prefix in Yemen have been linked to a significant number of telephone frauds. Be alert to these indicators if you do not expect to receive calls from other countries.
Calls from institutions: Always be cautious of calls from entities that argue system failures to request personal data, passwords, or request transfers to accounts for whatever reason. Hang up the phone and verify the situation by calling the entity directly.
Calls from relatives in trouble: If we receive calls from people close to us through hidden numbers, asking for help or in extreme situations that can only be solved through private data or transfers, we should be suspicious.
Filtering Tools: On both Android and iOS, there are different built-in tools to detect and block spam calls automatically. Enable these options to get an extra layer of protection.
Finally, if a family member or friend writes to say that they need a money transfer urgently, it is probably a scam. t will be enough to call that person and always verify the authenticity of the messages. We should also avoid sharing any type of code via messaging that could compromise the security of our accounts.
At the moment, given the increase and diversity of new scams, it is clear that our best weapon is to keep ourselves informed and protected. And if you still need extra help with cybersecurity, do not hesitate to contact Tym.
Suspicious Prefixes: Some countries have telephone prefixes commonly associated with scams. For example, the +212 prefix in Morocco or the +967 prefix in Yemen have been linked to a significant number of telephone frauds. Be alert to these indicators if you do not expect to receive calls from other countries.
Calls from institutions: Always be cautious of calls from entities that argue system failures to request personal data, passwords, or request transfers to accounts for whatever reason. Hang up the phone and verify the situation by calling the entity directly.
Calls from relatives in trouble: If we receive calls from people close to us through hidden numbers, asking for help or in extreme situations that can only be solved through private data or transfers, we should be suspicious.
Filtering Tools: On both Android and iOS, there are different built-in tools to detect and block spam calls automatically. Enable these options to get an extra layer of protection.
Finally, if a family member or friend writes to say that they need a money transfer urgently, it is probably a scam. t will be enough to call that person and always verify the authenticity of the messages. We should also avoid sharing any type of code via messaging that could compromise the security of our accounts.
At the moment, given the increase and diversity of new scams, it is clear that our best weapon is to keep ourselves informed and protected. And if you still need extra help with cybersecurity, do not hesitate to contact Tym.