Two Canadians lose $2.3 million in AI deepfake crypto scam
Two Canadians, one from Ontario and one from Prince Edward Island, lost a combined $2.3 million after being deceived by AI-generated deepfake videos. The Ontario victim lost $1.7 million after watching a fake video of Elon Musk, while the other lost $600,000 after seeing a clip falsely linked to the show Dragon's Den. The scam involved a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment scheme. The incident was reported on December 21, 2025.
2 source articles · read the reporting →
AI deepfake videos of Cyprus president and celebrities scam victims out of thousands
AI-generated deepfake videos impersonating Cyprus President Nicos Christodoulides and other public figures were used to promote fake investment platforms, scamming around 15 people out of €10,000 to €15,000 each. The Digital Security Authority warned that no tools exist to protect citizens from such malicious AI content. Scammers also used images of business tycoons and celebrities across several months. An MP has proposed a law to criminalise the unauthorised use of people in AI material.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Ahmedabad cyber police bust deepfake Aadhaar fraud racket, four arrested
Four men were arrested in Ahmedabad for allegedly using AI-generated deepfake videos to bypass Aadhaar's facial authentication system. They changed a victim's registered mobile number, accessed his DigiLocker, and applied for loans in his name. The accused, including Common Service Centre operators, used unauthorised Aadhaar update kits. Police are investigating whether more victims were targeted.
- Company involved
- Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)
- AI system involved
- Aadhaar facial authentication system
1 source article · read the reporting →
AI detector falsely accuses student of cheating at Central Methodist University
Moira Olmsted, a student at Central Methodist University, submitted a written assignment and received a zero grade after her professor said an AI detection tool flagged her work as AI-generated. Olmsted alleges the accusation was false and that her writing had been flagged at least once before. The incident highlights the risk of AI detectors falsely accusing students of cheating.
- Company involved
- Central Methodist University
1 source article · read the reporting →
HSBC voice ID breached by customer's twin brother
BBC reporter Dan Simmons set up an HSBC voice-ID authenticated account. His non-identical twin brother Joe was able to mimic his voice and gain access after eight attempts, viewing balances and transactions and being offered the chance to transfer money. HSBC acknowledged the breach and reduced the number of allowed attempts from seven to three. The bank stated that the system remains secure and that the scenario was not typical of fraud.
- Company involved
- HSBC
- AI system involved
- Voice ID
3 source articles · read the reporting →
Guernsey Deputy Targeted in AI-Generated Investment Scam
Scammers used AI-generated video and fake press reports to impersonate Guernsey's senior politician, Deputy Lindsay de Sausmarez, falsely showing her endorsing a non-existent government investment scheme. The deputy warned the public on social media not to fall for the scam, which contained a typo referring to her as 'Mr.' No financial losses have been reported, but the incident is part of a series of scams using recognisable local figures and media.
3 source articles · read the reporting →
AI-generated Centrelink phishing emails target 270,000 Australians
More than 270,000 fake emails impersonating Services Australia and Centrelink were detected over four months in a broad phishing campaign. Cybersecurity firm Mimecast reports that cybercriminals are using artificial intelligence to create highly convincing clones of legitimate government communications about benefits. The attack targets vulnerable people and can lead to identity theft, data theft, malware, or ransomware.
- Company involved
- Services Australia
4 source articles · read the reporting →
Gamma AI Presentation Tool Exploited in Multi-Stage Phishing Campaign
Threat actors used Gamma, an AI-powered presentation builder, to host a page that redirected recipients to a fake Microsoft SharePoint login portal. Emails sent from compromised legitimate accounts passed authentication checks, while a Cloudflare Turnstile blocked automated security scanners. An adversary-in-the-middle framework validated credentials in real time and captured session cookies, enabling multi-factor authentication bypass on Microsoft accounts. Abnormal reported the campaign on 15 April 2025.
- AI system involved
- Gamma
7 source articles · read the reporting →
UAE Company Loses $35 Million in Deepfake Audio Scam
Fraudsters used forged emails and deepfake audio to impersonate a company director, convincing a branch manager at a UAE company to transfer $35 million as part of a fake acquisition. The manager believed he was following instructions from the director and a US-based lawyer. The incident, which occurred in January 2020, led to a US federal court request for assistance in tracing the stolen funds. The case highlights the growing threat of deepfake technology in corporate fraud.
6 source articles · read the reporting →
Scammer uses AI deepfake to impersonate friend, steals $823,000 from Chinese businessman
In April 2023, a scammer used AI to impersonate a businessman's friend in a video call, convincing him to transfer 4.3 million yuan (S$823,000). The victim, Mr Guo, believed the caller was his friend after verifying the face and voice. After the transfer, he realised the deception and alerted police, who managed to recover 3.4 million yuan. Efforts to recover the remaining funds are ongoing.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Sky Gold subsidiary loses Rs 10.70 crore in deepfake scam
Starmangalsutra Private Limited, a subsidiary of Sky Gold and Diamonds, lost approximately Rs 10.70 crore after fraudsters used deepfake techniques to impersonate a director and trick an employee into transferring funds to unknown accounts. The incident was discovered on July 15, 2026, and the company reported it to cybercrime authorities and banks. Sky Gold stated there is no indication of broader IT system breaches.
- Company involved
- Starmangalsutra Private Limited
1 source article · read the reporting →
Scammer uses deepfake video to impersonate U.S. Admiral and swindle California widow of $287,928
An unidentified individual used a deepfake video to impersonate U.S. Navy Admiral Sean Buck on Skype, deceiving a widow from Santa Monica, California, into believing she was in a romantic relationship. Over four months, the victim wired nearly $288,000 to the scammer, who also posed as another person named Robert Ankeny. The funds have not been recovered, and a federal complaint has been filed.
9 source articles · read the reporting →
Kimsuky used ChatGPT to create fake military ID for phishing
The hacking group Kimsuky allegedly used ChatGPT to generate a counterfeit South Korean military identification card. This fake ID was used in a phishing email that contained links to malware designed to extract data from victims' devices. Targets included journalists, human rights activists and researchers. The incident highlights the growing misuse of AI for cybercrime.
- Company involved
- Kimsuky
- AI system involved
- ChatGPT
6 source articles · read the reporting →
Google sues Chinese gang over AI-powered fraud targeting Americans
Google has filed a lawsuit against a Chinese cybercrime group called Outsider Enterprise, alleging it used Google's Gemini AI to create hundreds of fake websites impersonating companies and government services. The group allegedly sent millions of phishing messages to Android users, defrauding hundreds of thousands of Americans of millions of dollars. Google is coordinating with the FBI and wireless carriers to dismantle the network. The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York, seeks an injunction to take down the operation.
- Company involved
- Outsider Enterprise
- AI system involved
- Gemini
3 source articles · read the reporting →
West Virginia Couple Targeted in AI-Generated Real Estate Scam
Raegan Bartlo received an email on August 23, 2024, that appeared to be from her title company lawyer, instructing her to wire a $255,000 down payment for her new home. The email was part of a scam using generative AI to impersonate real estate professionals. Cybersecurity officials say such scams are occurring across the country, targeting homebuyers. The Bartlos were targets, but it is unclear if they lost any money.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Montenegro police warn of rising AI identity abuse in online fraud
Montenegrin police say AI is fuelling a rise in identity abuse by online fraudsters, using deepfake videos of public figures to promote bogus remedies and investment schemes. Surgeon and MP Vladimir Dobricanin found a manipulated video of himself apparently endorsing eyedrops and other products, while Bosnian fact-checkers reported similar misuse of statements to lure people into cryptocurrency scams. Victims reported 42 online scams in 2025 with financial losses of around 300,000 euros, but authorities say investigations are complex and often lengthy due to the use of servers abroad and encryption. Experts called for stronger technical capacities, international cooperation, and faster platform responses to tackle the problem.
- Company involved
- Limited Charm
- AI system involved
- Deepfake social media advertisements
1 source article · read the reporting →
Inland Revenue warns of AI scam using commissioner's image
Scammers used AI-generated images and messaging to impersonate New Zealand's Commissioner of Inland Revenue, Peter Mersi, in social media ads inviting people to a fake crypto tax webinar. The ads aimed to trick people into giving personal information for identity theft or account access. Inland Revenue received over 3000 scam reports in three months and worked to have the ads removed, but they kept reappearing. The department warned the public about the increasing use of AI in investment scams.
2 source articles · read the reporting →
Companies face AI deepfake job candidates for remote roles
US companies report a surge in fake job seekers using generative AI tools to fabricate identities, employment histories, and conduct deepfake video interviews for remote positions. Cybersecurity firms Pindrop and CAT Labs, along with BrightHire, describe incidents where scammers, including North Korean operatives, attempted to gain employment to install malware, demand ransoms, steal data, or collect salaries fraudulently. One candidate, 'Ivan X', was detected by Pindrop's video authentication tool after a recruiter noticed his facial expressions were out of sync with his words.
- Company involved
- Pindrop Security
- AI system involved
- video authentication program
1 source article · read the reporting →
Fraudsters use AI voice deepfake to trick UK energy firm CEO into transferring $243,000
In March 2019, criminals used commercially available AI voice-generation software to impersonate the CEO of a German parent company. They tricked the CEO of a UK-based energy firm into urgently wiring $243,000 to a Hungarian supplier. The fraud was discovered when the fraudsters attempted a second transfer, which the CEO refused. The company was insured and the loss was covered.
- Company involved
- Unnamed UK-based energy firm
- AI system involved
- Commercially available voice-generating AI software
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Attempted deepfake CEO voicemail fraud against an unnamed technology company
An attacker used synthetic audio deepfake to leave a voicemail impersonating the CEO of a technology company, asking an employee to call back to finalize an urgent business deal. The employee found it suspicious and referred the matter to the legal department, avoiding any loss. Nisos analyzed the audio and found inconsistencies in pitch and tone.
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Art gallery owner loses business after AI deepfake scam impersonating Pierce Brosnan
Simone Simms, owner of a Nottingham art gallery, was deceived by scammers using AI deepfake technology to impersonate actor Pierce Brosnan. She exchanged messages and had video calls with the fake Brosnan, leading her to send £3,000 and organise an exhibition, selling £20,000 in tickets. After the real Brosnan issued a cease-and-desist, she refunded the tickets and was forced to close her gallery, losing her £30,000 business.
1 source article · read the reporting →
AI deepfake fraud dupes man into transferring $612,000
A man surnamed Guo, a legal representative of a technology company in Fuzhou, received a video call from someone impersonating his friend using AI to mimic the friend's face and voice. The fake friend asked Guo to transfer 4.3 million yuan to a bank account, claiming it was for a bid. Guo transferred the money and later discovered the fraud when he contacted his real friend. Police stopped part of the transfer and are investigating.
10 source articles · read the reporting →
California regulator accuses Maxpread Technologies of using AI-generated fake CEO to scam investors
Maxpread Technologies allegedly used an AI-generated avatar to pose as its CEO in a YouTube video to deceive investors. The California DFPI issued cease and desist letters to Maxpread and four other companies for offering unqualified securities and making false promises. The regulator claims the companies promised high daily returns using AI trading, but these claims were false. Maxpread did not respond to requests for comment.
- Company involved
- Maxpread Technologies
8 source articles · read the reporting →
Face recognition bypass used to register shell companies for tax fraud in Shanghai
In a major tax fraud case in Shanghai, criminals used face recognition cracking techniques to register shell companies on government platforms. They purchased high-resolution photos and used apps to create fake videos, then used modified phones to bypass face recognition authentication. The scheme resulted in fraudulent invoices totaling over 500 million yuan. The case was prosecuted by the Shanghai procuratorate.
7 source articles · read the reporting →
