SINGAPORE – 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. As well as creating hyper realistic avatars with human-like language skills, these tools can now convincingly reproduce the face or voice of a real person using a small amount of content found online.
However, public understanding of how deepfakes can be used in crime remains low. Once seen as a threat mainly to public figures, synthetic media crime now increasingly targets private citizens through investment scams, impersonation, romance scams, sextortion, deepfake pornography, and disinformation.
Concretely, this may look like 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. Ultimately, these scams aim for one thing: stealing 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.
"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.”
The campaign videos promote the message 'Wait. Validate. Don’t take the bait.’ The public is urged to consider the following advice.
What red flags should people look out for?
- Unsolicited contact. Someone you don't know, or someone claiming to be a friend, relative, or trusted organization, reaches out unprompted and steers the conversation towards personal details, banking information or money.
- Urgency. You're pressured to act immediately, often with claims of personal crises or family emergencies, leaving no time to reflect on or verify the request.
- Emotional manipulation. The person uses fear or distress, or insists on secrecy, to keep you from consulting anyone else.
- Unusual payment methods. You're asked to pay by wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or gift cards, which are hard to trace and nearly impossible to recover.
- Fast moving virtual relationship. Your online relationship becomes intense quite quickly, with declarations of love and emotional dependance. You may be encouraged to move the conversation away from official dating platforms to avoid monitoring and reporting systems.
What should people do?
- Stay calm and skeptical. Take time to assess the situation, even if you believe you are speaking to someone you trust. Discuss with other people around you.
- Verify independently. For unsolicited calls, hang up and contact the person through a known, verified channel. For online relationships, check their online presence and public information, verify profile photos haven’t been taken from other sources.
- Establish a ‘safe word.’ Create a secret phrase or question with close family or friends to verify identity during suspicious calls.
- Secure accounts. Ensure two-factor authentication is activated for all online accounts.
In addition to the above advice, businesses should also:
- Train teams. Implement mandatory training on deepfake scams, vishing and social engineering tactics.
- Create secure protocols. Establish multi-step verification processes for financial transactions or data transfers, including face-to-face confirmation for large sums.
- Update software. Regular updates can protect devices against malware and spyware.
In all cases, if you suspect you have been targeted by a scam or have become a victim, contact your local law enforcement authorities immediately. If you have recently made a payment, you should also contact your bank as soon as possible.
As a public-facing awareness component of Project SynthWave PLUS, the campaign is one of the ways INTERPOL provides multifaceted support to law enforcement in Southeast Asia and beyond, in addressing threats linked to synthetic media technology.
This support includes advancing cutting-edge research into synthetic media threats and potential solutions from a global perspective, raising awareness of the technology and response strategies, and providing targeted learning opportunities for law enforcement.
Notes to editors
Project SynthWave PLUS is supported financially by the Government of Japan.
About INTERPOL
Headquartered in Lyon, France, INTERPOL is the world’s largest international police organization, connecting 196 member countries. It maintains global databases containing police information on criminals and crime, and provides operational and forensic support, analysis services and training. These policing capabilities are delivered worldwide and support four global programmes: financial crime and corruption; counter-terrorism; cybercrime; and organized and emerging crime.
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