Deepfakes: Improving Rapidly with No End in Sight
December 1, 2023
This essay is the work of a dumb dinobaby. No smart software required.
The possible applications of AI technology are endless and we’ve barely imagined the opportunities. While tech experts mainly focus on the benefits of AI, bad actors are concentrating how to use them for illegal activities. The Next Web explains how bad actors are using AI for scams, “Deepfake Fraud Attempts Are Up 3000% In 2023-Here’s Why.” Bad actors are using cheap and widely available AI technology to create deepfake content for fraud attempts.
According to Onfido, an ID verification company in London, reports that deepfake scams increased by 31% in 2023. It’s an entire 3000% year-on-year gain. The AI tool of choice for bad actors is face-swapping apps. They range in quality from a bad copy and paste job to sophisticated, blockbuster quality fakes. While the crude attempts are laughable, it only takes one successful facial identity verification for fraudsters to win.
The bad actors concentrate on quantity over quality and account for 80.3% of attacks in 2023. Biometric information is a key component to stop fraudsters:
“Despite the rise of deepfake fraud, Onfido insists that biometric verification is an effective deterrent. As evidence, the company points to its latest research. The report found that biometrics received three times fewer fraudulent attempts than documents. The criminals, however, are becoming more creative at attacking these defenses. As GenAI tools become more common, malicious actors are increasingly producing fake documents, spoofing biometric defenses, and hijacking camera signals.”
Onfido suggests using “liveness” biometrics in verification technology. Liveness determines if a user if actually present instead of a deepfake, photo, recording, or masked individual.
As AI technology advances so will bad actors in their scams.
Whitney Grace, December 1, 2023
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