Interpol’s new campaign shows how anyone can fall victim to deepfake scams
“Wait, validate, and don’t take the bait.”
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- Interpol says scammers can use deepfake video calls to impersonate bosses and request urgent payments.
- The campaign warns that criminals can clone voices from online posts to pressure families for money.
- Interpol urges people to pause, verify requests, and avoid unusual payment methods.
- Employers should train staff, plan responses, and update software to reduce deepfake scam risks.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
Interpol has launched an awareness campaign showing how scammers use deepfake technology to fool their victims.
One video shows Chris, an employee, picking up a video call from his boss. His boss urges him to jump on a new task urgently, focused on an upcoming payment.
What Interpol wants you to know is that Chris’s boss isn’t real. His likeness has been used to fool Chris into handing over credentials or even cash.
Another video shows how deepfake scams are being used by bad actors to defraud the general public. Not just employees from high-profile companies or celebrities.
This example shows how scammers can clone people’s voices from social media posts or vlog videos to extort their families.
"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,” said Toshinobu Yasuhira, the director of the Interpol innovation center.
This new campaign aims to draw attention to deepfake scams and shows the general public how to mitigate them.
The campaign functions as the public-facing awareness part of Interpol’s Project Synthwave Plus, which is financially supported by the Government of Japan.
This project is designed to counter synthetic media threats while helping prevent the public from being extorted.
Interpol’s tagline for this campaign is “wait, validate, don’t take the bait,” which outlines a course of action a person should follow before initiating any transfers.
What should you do?
There are telltale signs that you might be the subject of a deepfake scam. Some of these red flags include:
- Unsolicited contact
- Urgency
- Emotional manipulation
- Unusual payment methods (cryptocurrency, gift card, wire transfer)
- Fast-moving online relationship
While these things might evoke anxiety or fear in the victim, Interpol says that everyone must adopt a calm and curious mindset when talking with anyone online. People should:
- Stay calm and skeptical
- Verify the information
- Establish a safe word
- Secure all accounts from unauthorized access
Employers should train their teams on how to protect themselves and the business from deepfake scams, create an action plan in case of a deepfake scam, and update software to ensure devices are protected from malware or spyware, Interpol said.
