How to spot an AI-generated image, video and audio

As Artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining popularity, criminals have found ways to use it to scam people.

Criminals continue to create more advanced versions of impersonation fraud using AI-generated video and voice to deceive people.

Johan Hetzel, global head of compliance and anti-financial crime at Luno says businesses have been tricked into transferring millions to scammers. In Hong Kong, an employee was duped into transferring $26 million after being on a video call with deep fakes of co-workers, including the company’s chief financial officer.

He says people should learn how to spot an AI impersonation video or audio as this method of fraud is starting to gain popularity in South Africa.

Deep fake technology

Deep fake technology is the creation of AI-generated images, videos, or audio that look real. He says the first warning sign of a deep fake technology is the communication channel used. This can be through emails or social media platforms.

“If you were contacted through an email, look carefully at the email address to confirm that it is legitimate,” he adds.

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If you were contacted through a social media platform, there are different ways you can confirm if it is legitimate. The first step is to check when the account was created, followed by how many friends/followers does that account have.

If the social media platform account that reached out is someone you know, it is advisable to contact them using a different method/platform to confirm whether the message indeed came from them.

How to spot a fake video and audio

Hetzel says another sign of deep fake video is unnatural facial expressions or facial morphing. Facial morphing is explained to be technology that blends two faces to create a new face. “You can also check for faces that are distorted, or skin that looks too smooth or wrinkled.”

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Other ways to spot a deep fake video are unnatural eye movements like no blinking and shadows in unexpected places like around the eyes and eyebrows.

He adds that AI-generated audio is harder to identify because you rely solely on your hearing, but there are clues to identifying a fake one. AI-generated audio does not display emotion and tonal variation. “Does the person on the other end take a breath before speaking?”

WATCH: AI-generated video

The future is here, and it's filled with endless possibilities thanks to the power of AI and deepfake technology. You now have the ability to digitally transform yourself into anyone you can imagine.
The world of the internet is about to get a whole lot more fascinating—and… pic.twitter.com/siWG0EXThL

— Vincent Valentine (CEO of Cognitive.ai) (@BitValentine) August 8, 2024

General tips to avoid being scammed

“If it is too good to be true, it probably,” he says, noting how fraud remains a serious concern across the financial services industry in the country.

“Be extra careful (even paranoid) and verify the person or organisation you are dealing with by doing extensive online research and asking them specific questions about their business”

Hetzel adds that it is important for you to take your time before making any decisions, as fraudsters often rush people into making decisions. “They are very persuasive! Take five minutes to think things through. Do not be afraid to terminate a conversation and walk away,” he says.

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