Rockford BBB: Beware Of “DeepFake” Scams Using Phony Video

I don't know how much you may or may not know about DeepFake technology, but as time marches on, I'm fairly certain that you'll be hearing more and more about it, and the potential for serious damage that the tech represents.

Meanwhile, for those who've never even heard the term DeepFake before, here's how Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines it:

An image or recording that has been convincingly altered and manipulated to misrepresent someone as doing or saying something that was not actually done or said.

DeepFakes Can Be Done So Convincingly That You'll Have No Idea That They're Not Real

Rather than burn off a bunch of my word-count on explanations, I thought a couple of quick videos would demonstrate DeepFakes better for you:

Okay, that's not Morgan Freeman, and this is not Tom Cruise:

So, Why Exactly Should You Be Worried About This Technology? A Fake Morgan Freeman And A Fake Tom Cruise Don't Seem Very Dangerous

The problem is not with those guys, it's with the people who want to use that technology to trick you into doing things that could cost you big money and compromise your personal and private information.

And the people who are doing it don't care where you live, because they can reach out to you anywhere, including right here in Northern Illinois and the Rockford area.

Here's How Scammers Are Using DeepFake Tech, According to The Rockford BBB

The thing about DeepFakes is that it's not just video. Audio can be DeepFaked as well, and it's done very convincingly. Something to consider if you get a call or voicemail that doesn't sound quite right.

Dennis Horton, director of the Rockford Regional Office of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) gave us an example recently of how a video that a friend sent you could be a DeepFake designed to manipulate you:

You come across a video of Elon Musk while scrolling through social media. Or perhaps a trusted friend sent you the video. Elon Musk talks about ways to invest in cryptocurrency and how you can make a large amount of money in no time. This sounds like a get-rich-quick scheme, but the video looks so real! Musk is a famous business leader, so his advice must be credible, right?

Wrong. If you follow those links and invest, you'll more than likely lose everything.