What Is Deepfake AI, and How Can You Avoid It?

Technology is a big part of our lives today, making things faster and easier. But with all the good comes some bad too, including deepfakes generated by artificial intelligence (AI) that can be used to trick you into sharing personal information, sending money or providing access to your financial accounts.

What are AI deepfakes?

Deepfakes are highly realistic content, such as videos, images or audio, created using AI.¹ Deepfake content is made using computer programs that learn how to mimic real people's faces, voices and actions. This technology is often called “deep learning,” which is a type of AI. Videos or audio created with deep learning can be so convincing that it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s not.

At first the technology used to make deepfakes gained notoriety in the entertainment industry. For example, filmmakers have used it to make actors look younger. Unfortunately, some people are now using deepfake AI tools for malicious purposes, including bank fraud and voice phishing scams designed to trick you into giving away money or important financial information.

How to tell if an image or video is a deepfake

The more you know about deepfakes and how they work, the better you’ll be at spotting them. Deepfake AI tools are evolving every day. For now these details could be clues that an image or video is a deepfake:^2,3,4

• Distorted hands or feet
• Unrealistic-looking facial features, including eyes or teeth
• Inconsistencies in the texture, movement or colors in an image or video
• Shadows in unnatural places or a lack of shadows where you’d expect to see them
• Unnatural movement, such as an absence of blinking or jerky motions when the head is moving
• Mouth movements that don’t quite line up with audio
• Fake or animated-looking accessories, such glasses or jewelry
• Abnormally fast or slow response time

If a recording, phone call or video call sounds like someone you know, listen carefully for word choices that don’t match that person’s usual speech. Financial scammers can use deepfake AI tools to create fake videos or voices that sound like someone you trust to trick you into sharing personal information.

How deepfakes impact financial fraud

Financial fraud is when someone tries to trick others to steal their money or personal information. Financial fraud has been a problem for a long time, but deepfakes have made it even harder to spot these scams.

For example, deepfake AI tools could be used to create fake videos of bank managers or customer service agents asking for personal details. These deepfakes look so real that people might not even question them. Imagine getting a video call from someone who looks like they’re working in your bank branch asking for your account information. It’s easy to see how someone could be fooled.

Scammers can also use deepfake AI tools to clone real voices using AI. They might create a fake voice that sounds just like a family member calling to asking for money to help in an emergency, for example.⁵ The voice might ask you to send money or share your account details. Once scammers convince you to share sensitive information, they can steal your money or use your identity to take out loans or make purchases.

How deepfakes impact cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is all about protecting our computers, data and online activities from being hacked or stolen. But deepfake AI tools make this job much tougher. Most security systems are designed to catch simple threats such as weak passwords or phishing emails. But deepfakes are so realistic that they can fool even the smartest security programs.

For example, some banks use facial recognition software to verify who you are before letting you access your account.⁶ But if a deepfake video is used instead of a real face, the system might not detect that it’s fake and let the scammer into the account.

To catch deepfakes, some banks have adopted sophisticated AI-based fraud detection tools that are able to analyze the tiniest details in video, audio and image files to determine authenticity.⁷ At the same time, cybersecurity teams must now monitor and protect enormous volumes of digital data.

The growing use of digital channels in financial services creates more opportunities for deepfake attacks. Scammers may target anything from online loan applications to customer service interactions to gain access to sensitive information.

Another challenge is that deepfakes can spread quickly online. If someone creates a deepfake video claiming that a bank is in trouble or that a new way to make money is guaranteed, it could go viral. People might panic or be tempted to hand over their money without checking if it’s true.

What can you do to stay safe?

AI technology is here to stay, and it’s going to keep getting better and harder to detect. Even though deepfakes are a big problem, there are ways to protect yourself and your money. Here are some simple actions you can take:

Be skeptical

If something seems too good to be true or just doesn’t feel right, it’s probably a fraud attempt. If an email, video call or voice message demands immediate action, such as making a financial transfer or sharing sensitive data, assume it’s a scam. Pause and verify that you’re truly communicating with a bank representative or someone you know.

Use strong verification methods

Instead of relying only on passwords or PINs, use multi-factor authentication (MFA) whenever possible. Adding this extra step, such as entering a code sent to your phone or scanning your fingerprint may not seem convenient, but it makes it harder for scammers to break into your accounts.⁸

Double-check “urgent” requests

If you feel pressured to make a purchase, transfer funds or share financial information quickly, you might be interacting with a deepfake. If you know the person in real life, hang up and call back through a saved number or ask a question that only that person would know the answer to. If the communication appears to come from a financial institution, end the communication, research its official contact information and reach out directly.^9,10

Report suspicious activity

If you come across a video, call or message that seems fake, report it to your bank or the company involved. The faster they know about it, the quicker they can take action to protect others.

Stay updated on security news

Cybersecurity is always changing, and new threats pop up all the time. By keeping up with the latest news, you’ll know what to watch out for and how to protect yourself. Share your new knowledge with your friends and family, so they’re aware, too.

Know what to expect

Learn how your bank communicates with customers. For example, your bank’s policy might allow text alerts for unusual spending, but most banks will never ask for your log-in information over text.

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Stay smart about deepfakes

While deepfakes are definitely clever, they can also be dangerous if you’re not aware of the ways scammers use them to gain access to your sensitive information.

By learning more about how deepfake AI scams work and taking steps to protect yourself, you can stay one step ahead.

Remember, if something doesn’t seem right, trust your instincts. It’s always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your money and personal information.

This article has been updated from a previous posting on September 30, 2024. Suzanne Wagner contributed.

Sources

1,3 https://us.norton.com/blog/emerging-threats/what-are-deepfakes
2,5,9 https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2024/PSA241203
4 https://owasp.org/www-chapter-dorset/assets/presentations/2022-10/OWASP_Deepfakes-A_Growing_Cybersecurity_Concern.pdf
6 https://risk.lexisnexis.com/-/media/files/financial%20services/research/lnrs_global-state-of-fraud_2026_v5.pdfb
7 https://bankingjournal.aba.com/2026/02/report-deepfake-detection-efforts-foiling-fraudsters/
8 https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/barr20250417a.htm#fn4
10 https://www.staysafeonline.org/articles/why-your-family-and-coworkers-need-a-safe-word-in-the-age-of-ai