Behind every technological advancement, the intent is to improve the standard of living of mankind. Getting things done fast, more conveniently, and with less human effort are objectives that motivate innovators to work relentlessly towards technology upgradation. But is everything about technology beneficial? The answer is “yes and no.”

Just like every other thing in the universe, technology can be a boon or a bane depending on who is using it and with what intent. The latest Hollywood blockbuster, Oppenheimer is the perfect example of how devastating technology can become.

These days, AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology is creating a lot of buzz. Hence, it is no surprise that AI tools are fast becoming the favourite crime companions of scamsters around the globe.

As AI technology has become part of our everyday lives, scamsters have started leveraging it too. As per a reported incident, a resident of Kozhikode, Kerala was duped of ₹40,000 by scamsters who used AI-based deepfake technology to imitate the victim’s former colleague on a WhatsApp video call.

The imposters told the victim that there had been a medical emergency at the victim’s colleague’s home and therefore ₹40,000 were required to pay off the hospital bills. The compassionate victim paid the sum to help the colleague but discovered later that he was scammed. The colleague had not called but some scamsters impersonating him did. This is one of the many WhatsApp video call scams that have been reported.

What is Deepfake technology, you ask?

Deepfakes are created using the facial re-enactment technique, which involves using AI to map one person’s face onto the face of another person in a video or audio recording. This can be done very convincingly, making it difficult to make out whether the video or audio recording is real or fake.

Most of the time, these scamsters impersonate a person very close to the victim whom the latter won’t hesitate to extend any monetary help. The unexpecting victim falls prey to such frauds and ends up losing a lot of money.

How to save yourself from such AI-based WhatsApp deepfake scams?

Although deepfake calls are tricky, you can safeguard yourself against AI Deepfake WhatsApp scams by following the advice given below.

1. Be suspicious of any calls from people you talk to rarely or infrequently. If someone claims to be a known person, it is best to ask them a personal question only they would know the answer to. If they are unable to answer it satisfactorily, the call is probably from a scamster.

2. Do not give out any bank or card details or share OTP with people that you do not know or trust.

3. If you suspect anything fishy over a call, it’s best to end the call immediately and block that number.

4. Verify from the friend or acquaintance you suspect someone is impersonating to demand money or any other favours. In this way, you’ll know the authenticity of the call.

5. Report any such suspicious calls on Cyber Crime Portal

6. Don’t fall for any get-rich-quick schemes or easy money-making schemes that these scamsters pitch.

Additionally, beware if the caller’s voice sounds different or a bit mechanical.

Digital scams and cybercrimes are increasing at a rapid pace. Every other day a new type of scam crops up and people get befooled.
Being vigilant is the only way you can save yourself from getting scammed.

DMI Finance being one of the trusted NBFCs and a leading digital lender in India, takes the responsibility to educate you about the finance industry, cyber scams, cyber security, and a lot more, so that you can be safe and not face unnecessary financial losses.