The word 'deepfake' combines an AI technique named 'deep learning' and 'fake'.
How does deepfake work? Deepfake technology is trained on large amounts of data, including human faces and voices. It can mimic people's facial features, movements and voices. The technology can replace a person with someone else or even an animal to create fake images or videos. It can also change what a person says in a clip.
With just 5 seconds of your voice and a mobile app, the technology can create a deepfake voice or deepfake videos that look real.
Is seeing really believing? Don't be so sure! Deepfake technology is developing fast and can sometimes be used for crimes.
Fraudsters use images, videos and voices of different people to train AI models. They then create deepfake videos or deepfake voices to make it seem like someone has said or done something they haven't. They might pretend to be famous people, government leaders or corporate executives to spread fake news. They may even pose as friends or family to trick victims out of money.
Fraudsters use deepfake to pose as famous people or leaders. They then trick victims into sending money to them through fake investment platforms.
Fraudsters use AI face swapping to create fake online personas with convincing back stories. They then exploit emotions to form connections and ask for money.
Fraudsters often use deepfake to pretend to be family or friends. They'll claim that they had an accident or some legal problems and need money urgently.
Fraudsters use deepfake to pretend to be corporate staff or senior executives. They'll claim that they aren't in town or that their work devices aren't working, so they can't access the company's systems. They then ask for sensitive information or money.
Deepfake technology can help people who have lost their voices, and even recreate visuals and audio of dead celebrities. But it can also be used to spread false or misleading information and facilitate fraud and crimes.
Corporates and governments are working to reduce these risks. Tech companies are creating tools to detect deepfakes. These will help fight AI-generated fraud with AI. Some countries plan to address the ethical and legal risks by law.
Remember, you're your own first line of defence. Keep track of the latest scams and stay alert at all times to protect yourself and your money.
HSBC is committed to protecting your financial security. Think you might have come across a deepfake scam? Please contact us at:
HSBC Global Private Banking customers: (852) 2233 3033
HSBC Premier Elite customers: (852) 2233 3033
HSBC Premier customers: (852) 2233 3322
Other personal banking customers: (852) 2233 3000
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