What is an AI-based deepfake call and how to stay protected from fraudsters

The incident occurred with a man named Radhakrishnan from Kozhikode in Kerala.

A Kerala man was recently cheated of Rs 40,000 after he fell for artificial intelligence-based deepfake call.

As per the Kerala Police Cyber Cell, this was the first cheating case of this kind in the state where AI was used to create fake videos. The fraudsters make fake videos using photos from social media where they can find other information such names of mutual friends, too.

What is an AI-based deepfake call?

An AI-based deep fake call is a scam which uses AI to make fake audio or video recordings of people. Fraudsters can make the calls by faking themselves as a friend or a family member to cheat the other person into giving money or any key information.

A deepfake is made using a technique called facial reenactment. The technique involves using AI to map the facial movements of one person onto the face of another via audio or video recording. The process can been achieved convincingly, which makes it hard to recognise whether call recording is real or fake.

AI-based deepfake calls are becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide since the technology used to make the calls is affordable and can be accessed easily.

How to stay protected from AI-based deepfake call scam?

Be suspicious of any calls from anyone you don't know or you don't expect a call from. If someone claims to be a friend or is known to you but you are not sure of the person's identity, then ask a personal question to verify.

If you suspect a call might be fake, the best way to avoid trouble is by ending the call immediately and not answering any calls from that number in future.

Also read: Kerala: Man cheated of Rs 40,000 over AI-based video call