A screenshot of a deepfake video of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promoting a cryptocurrency scam in March, 2024. Photo Courtesy of Macklen Linke/CKRW.
Whitehorse, YT – The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) reports a troubling rise in fraudsters using deepfake technology to promote fraudulent investment platforms, products or applications, making them appear legitimate and trustworthy.
What are deepfakes?
Deepfakes use advanced AI algorithms to alter audio and video, making it look like a trusted figure is doing or saying something they never did. Often fraudulent deepfake videos impersonate politicians, celebrities and news anchors.
Often, deepfakes circulate on social media platforms and enable fraudulent activities, privacy violations and social manipulation by spreading false information. The Canadian Government listed deepfakes as a growing threat to Canada and democratic institutions.
A deepfake of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky calling on his soldiers to lay down their weapons was reportedly uploaded to a hacked Ukrainian news website today, per @Shayan86 pic.twitter.com/tXLrYECGY4
— Mikael Thalen (@MikaelThalen) March 16, 2022
Deepfake videos can be convincing, making it difficult for viewers to tell whether the video is authentic.
How to protect yourself
Although deepfakes can be challenging to spot the CAFC says you can do several things to lower your risk of being fooled.
- Question Authenticity: Assume videos featuring public figures endorsing products and investments are fake until proven otherwise. Verify legitimacy with research.
- Sensational Content: Deepfakes often rely on eye-catching or out-of-character statements to manipulate viewers. CAFC says if a video seems to good to be true, it might be a deepfake.
- Editing Signs: Look for unnatural movements, mismatched audio or inconsistent lighting and shadows indicating a video could have been edited.
- Cross-Check Info: Verify claims by checking with reliable sources and looking for corroborating evidence.
- Verify Company Credentials: Ensure that the companies mentioned are legitimate by confirming their registration through the National Registration Search Tool.
- Confirm Contact Info: Be cautious if a company uses names or addresses that seem suspicious or unverifiable.
If you believe you have been targeted by cybercrime or fraud you can report it to local police and the CAFC.
