The Worst Advice We’ve Heard For Deepfake Technology


Deepfake
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Even if you don’t keep up with the latest technologies, you’ve probably heard of the term “deepfake” and may have even heard of deepfake frauds. But, exactly, what is a deepfake?

Here’s the deal: those crazy tech people used artificial intelligence to create technology that allows you to modify audio, images, and video like never before. “Synthetic media” is the collective word, with “deepfake” referring to visual media, but for the sake of simplicity, we’ll use deepfake as a catch-all.

While it’s largely been utilized for fun, such as in this video of “Jay-Z” reciting Hamlet and as a mind-bending visual accompaniment to celebrity impressions, it’s evident that this technology has a bad side.

Deepfake software could be used by unethical actors to deceive the public or achieve political advantage.

It may have a more direct impact on you. Deepfake identity fraud, for example, has astronomical potential. It’s a good idea to think about strategies to protect yourself from deepfake scams as technology becomes more convincing.

What are deepfakes and how do they work?

While we won’t go into too much detail on the technical side, it’s critical to understand how everything works before addressing how deepfake scams might be constructed. Key elements of a person’s look or voice can be layered on another’s using a combination of artificial intelligence and machine learning (the “deep” in “deepfake” stands for “deep-learning”).

Lyrebird, an AI firm, published vocal clones of Donald Trump, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton in 2017. Since then, the quality has vastly increased, and a Lyrebird app is now available for public use. Zao, REFACE, Face Swap, and Overdub is just a few of the voice cloning and deefaking programs available.

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The availability of the software and the media it uses is what makes the possibility for widespread deepfake fraud so high. There is literally “an app for that” with deepfake software, so you don’t need expensive hardware or experience. While technology has existed for some time, the amount of media available today has made it much more viable.

How deepfake and voice cloning schemes (might) work

Deepfake frauds aren’t frequent, thankfully, but one high-profile occurrence provides a decent idea of what they could look like. Last year, the CEO of a UK energy firm followed instructions from the parent company’s CEO to transfer €220,000 (about $243,000 USD) to one of their suppliers over the phone. The issue was that it wasn’t the CEO of the parent firm who was speaking, but rather a convincing example of voice cloning. The voice was indistinguishable from the actual thing, according to the scam victim, and he only realised it because of several irregularities, such as the number being Austrian when it should have been German.

Assume you’re in the process of purchasing a home. Your real estate agent calls to congratulate you on your accepted offer, but you must transfer the downpayment immediately. He’s calling from his personal phone since he forgot his business phone at the office, but that’s beside the point; you need to close this deal before the buyer leaves! He sends you the banking details via email, you send the money, and you’re the delighted owner of a brand new home.

How to avoid being a victim of a deepfake scam

Those of us who consider ourselves to be tech-savvy may believe we are immune to the numerous email and robot-calling scams. And some of us might be correct. This, on the other hand, is a very different ballgame. Because we’ve been accustomed to trusting our eyes and hearing, particularly well-executed deepfakes may be more difficult to detect than you think, and they’ll just grow better. That’s why, in addition to relying on deepfake detection, several experts advise upgrading your overall security policies.

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Deepfake-protection security methods

Trust but double-check: That voice message could be genuine. In any case, it’s important to phone back a number you’re sure is correct to confirm the transfer your colleague requested.

Consider the following: Don’t click that button unless you’ve KYC verification that the request for funds originated from a source you’re familiar with and totally trust. In the same way, if you’ve never heard of a news source before, go to one you trust to double-check.

Keep an eye out for minor inconsistencies: Examine the phone number, email address, or account from whence the audio or video originated. It’s difficult to notice a single missing letter with the erroneous number unless you’re continuously on the lookout.

Limit access to your voice and photos: As we’ve seen, deepfakes require recordings, images, or video footage of you. Limit your social media presence or keep your profiles private to avoid your likeness from being reproduced, and only accept requests from people you trust.

Detecting deepfakes

However, there are tell-tale indicators that are likely to appear in amateurishly constructed deepfakes, at least for the time being. When attempting to detect a deepfake, keep the following in mind:

Speech cadence that isn’t natural

A movement that is not natural

Blinking is not normal

Unexpected changes in lighting and skin tone Poor lip and speech synchronization

Audio and/or video of poor quality

Digital artifacts (sometimes referred to as “noise” in audio and video)

Scams involving deepfakes in the future

The good news is that successful deepfake scams, such as the UK energy industry debacle, are now rare. The bad news is that their frequency is only likely to rise in the near future, and as deepfake software develops, they’ll become more difficult to identify. Your best bet is to start implementing strong security measures right away, from basic smartphone security to the more advanced techniques listed above.

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Abhay Singh

Abhay Singh is a seasoned digital marketing expert with over 7 years of experience in crafting effective marketing strategies and executing successful campaigns. He excels in SEO, social media, and PPC advertising.