Deepfake Video Calls? Red Flags
Your 'boss' appears on a video call instructing an urgent wire transfer — face, voice, mannerisms, all convincing. Real-time deepfakes now make this possible, and the targets are finance staff and family members alike. You can't reliably eyeball a good fake, so the defense is procedural: verify outside the call.
TL;DR / Quick Fix
Video calls can now fake a boss or relative with AI — watch for odd lip sync, glitchy edges when they move, and a refusal to turn their head or wave. Ask them to do something unscripted on camera. Always confirm money requests through a separate channel you trust.
Follow these steps
- Watch for visual tells. Lip sync slightly off, face edges shimmering on movement, unnatural blinking, or lighting that doesn't match the room — any one is a flag.
- Ask for an unscripted action. Ask them to turn their head fully sideways, wave a hand across the face, or hold up fingers. Live deepfakes often break on unexpected motion.
- Listen for audio oddities. Flat emotional tone, odd pauses, or audio that doesn't quite match mouth movement. Combined with visual flags, the picture firms up.
- Never act on money instructions from one call. No legitimate urgent transfer happens on a single video call with no paper trail. Policy: wire instructions need a second channel, always.
- Verify through a separate channel. Call the person's known number, message them on a different app, or walk to their office. The scammer controls the call — not your other channels.
- Report and preserve evidence. Screenshot the call, save the number, and report to IT or law enforcement. Deepfake incidents are still rare enough that each report matters.
What NOT to do
- Do not rely on 'I'd recognize them.' Deepfakes target exactly that confidence — familiarity is what the technology fakes best.
- Do not continue the call to 'be sure.' Every extra minute is pressure to comply; hang up and verify instead of debating the face.
- Do not skip verification for small amounts. Test transfers of small sums are how scammers build trust for the big one.
- Do not assume company video tools are immune. The fake joins like any participant — the platform cannot tell a deepfake from a webcam.
Frequently asked questions
How common are deepfake video scams?
Still rare for individuals, growing for businesses — reported cases cluster around finance teams. Rarity is no comfort if you are the target.
Can deepfakes fake a live conversation?
Yes — real-time face swapping runs on consumer hardware now. It handles scripted talk well and stumbles on surprises, hence the unscripted-action test.
What if the video looks perfect?
Then procedure is your only defense: no money moves on one call's authority, ever. Perfect fakes just make the rule more important.
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