Scammers are using deepfake technology to dupe victims into believing what celebrities say, and a study revealed only 1.5% of Brits were able to spot every fake version presented to them.
An experiment by comparison site finder.com found 98% of 2,000 respondents were unable to successfully identify the legitimacy of all eight videos from very famous figures.
Just over half (56%) were able to correctly spot four or more of the eight video clips. In the study, a genuine and deepfake video of influential people like Mark Zuckerberg, Kim Kardashian and Boris Johnson were shown to highlight the alarming accuracy of potential AI scams.
Surprisingly, the younger age groups – who’d perhaps be considered more aware of AI technology – struggled more than their older counterparts. Gen-Z (aged 18 to 23) participants scored an average of 4.2 out of eight, lower than the average of 4.8 scored by the baby boomer cohort (aged 63 to 81).
The analysis follows the scam earlier this month, reported by BBC News, which used one of the world’s most popular YouTubers, Mr Beast to trick victims into believing they were buying an iPhone for just $2 (£1.65). Fraudsters would then use the card details provided to scam victims out of their cash.
With the UK losing £4bn to con artists in 2022, and a 4.7% rise in deepfake fraud cases, there is concern among experts that the number of convincing scams could increase.
Deepfakes ‘pose a real threat to consumers’
Liz Edwards, editor-in-chief at finder.com, said: “The proportion of deepfakes among all fraud cases has grown considerably in the UK over the last year, rising from 1.2% of all fraud cases in 2022 to 5.9% in Q1 of 2023, according to a recent report. The more time goes on and this technology develops, the more realistic these deepfakes become, and this poses a real threat to consumers who may not even be aware that this technology exists.
“As our new research shows, most Brits are unable to consistently tell the difference between real and AI generated videos. If the technology is used to manipulate messages from influential individuals – to show them asking for money or promoting a scam, for example – this is where the real danger comes in.”
The personal finance comparison site highlighted three key tips on what to look out for with AI scams:
Do your own independent research
If you encounter any form of content which is encouraging you to part with your money, make sure you conduct your own investigation into the opportunity. A quick Google search could reveal whether the video is real or not. You should also check with a respected news source like BBC News to see whether there are reports backing up what the person has said, or reports of an AI scam involving them. Taking a few minutes to do some research could help to avoid losing your money.
Study the video in detail
There are a few key details to look out for in deepfake videos.
For example, is their mouth moving completely in sync with their words? Does their voice match the exact tone and dialect of the actual person? You can also check for features such as the shadow movement of the person in the video to ensure that it matches.
If anything looks suspicious, assume it’s not real
Listen carefully to what they’re saying – Although these deepfake videos look realistic,
a lot of the time the content will have been written by AI technology, so listen carefully and try to decipher whether this really sounds like something a human would say.
