Document Type
Report
Publication Date
6-2025
Abstract
In early 2024, criminals used deepfake technology to carry out high-level fraud. Arup Incident: $25.6 Million Lost In February 2024, the Hong Kong office of Arup, a global design firm, was targeted in a deepfake scam. An employee received a video call from what appeared to be the company's CFO and other executives. In reality, AI-generated video and voice cloning had been used to impersonate leadership. The employee, believing the meeting was real, transferred $25.6 million to fraudsters across multiple transactions. WPP Attempt: Fraud Thwarted In another case, scammers tried to fool employees at WPP, a global communications firm, by creating a fake WhatsApp account and setting up a Microsoft Teams meeting using voice cloning and edited YouTube footage of a senior executive. The attempt failed thanks to employee suspicion.
Recommended Citation
National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center, "Deepfakes and Fraud: Real-World Examples of AI Misuse" (2025). Reports, Projects, and Research. 136.
https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/ncitereportsresearch/136
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