Surrey’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Lisa Townsend, has created her own deepfake video to highlight the dangers of AI generated fraud as part of a new campaign: Question EVERYTHING.
The video shows a deepfake of the Commissioner promoting a new financial scheme open to every Surrey resident.
It was released on the PCC’s social media channels this morning enticing users to find out how they could “secure money in their bank accounts”.
The ‘fake’ moving image of Lisa explains how registration simply involves confirming a couple of personal details including residential address and online bank details.
The film then swiftly reveals the ‘real’ Lisa Townsend explaining that the financial scheme is not genuine, and that the ‘fake’ Lisa was created using artificial intelligence.
Free guide
The video was released to mark the launch of the Question EVERYTHING campaign which aims to raise awareness of the emerging threat of AI generated fraud and how easy it is for criminals to use the technology to create fake content to scam victims.
The Commissioner’s office has also created a free information guide, The Dangers of AI and Deepfakes: How to Avoid Becoming the Victim of AI Generated Scams. Both the information guide and campaign film with deepfake is available here.
Lisa said: “Artificial intelligence is becoming more sophisticated every day.
“While it can no doubt bring huge benefits to the way we work and live – it is also being exploited by criminals looking to target people for profit.
“I wanted to create the deepfake video to show how easy it is for fraudsters to convincingly impersonate somebody, particularly those in the public eye. Astonishingly, the fake version of me was primarily generated from a series of still images that were available in the public domain.
‘Fraudsters’ paradise’
“Only three seconds of audio is required to clone a person’s voice to be manipulated and say whatever a criminal wants – the results are frightening.
“At this time of year with Black Friday sales and Christmas fast approaching, I am urging everyone who watches content online, scrolls through social media posts, or receives unexpected phone calls or unsolicited emails to pause and ‘Question EVERYTHING’ that they are watching, reading or hearing.
“AI has made the scammers’ space into a fraudsters’ paradise.”
Question Everything
Fraud is currently the most prevalent crime against an individual accounting for more than 1 in 3 of all crimes, according to The Crime Survey for England and Wales.
And the dangers of deepfakes are apparent as Action Fraud reports that £10 million was lost last year to fraudsters who convinced victims to invest into bogus schemes by using an influential person that had been created by AI.
PC Bernadette Lawrie BEM, Financial Abuse Safeguarding Officer at Surrey Police, said: “The more people understand how AI can be used to deceive, the harder it will become for criminals to exploit that technology.
“Locally, our Operation Signature team is working closely with our Neighbourhood Teams and the Victim and Witness Care Unit, alongside partners in our local councils, banks and community groups to raise awareness and build resilience.
Raising awareness
“We’re sharing intelligence, training frontline staff and volunteers, and equipping the public with practical advice on how to spot the signs and protect themselves against fraud.
“Staying informed, double-checking information, and trusting your instincts can make all the difference. Together, we can make our communities safer in the digital age.”
The Victim and Witness Care Unit (VWCU), a supporting partner of Question EVERYTHING, has seen a clear rise in the number of Surrey residents falling victim to increasingly sophisticated frauds, many of which involve artificial intelligence.
Rachel Roberts, Head of the VWCU said: “Our dedicated team of three fraud specialists work closely with victims to provide both practical advice and emotional support, helping them recover from what can be an incredibly distressing experience.
£500,000 scams
“It’s vital that residents stay alert, take a moment to verify what they see or hear, and know that help is available if they do become a victim.”
Lisa said: “Reports of AI-enabled crime pertaining to romance fraud, investment fraud and invoice fraud have had the highest total and average losses overall this year.
“I was astounded to read examples of individuals who have lost in the region of half a million pounds to AI scams.
“AI is enabling fraudsters to enhance tried and tested tactics more quickly and commit more sophisticated, high-volume scams, at greater scale.
“As the application of deepfakes and cloned voices grow, everyone needs to be aware, keeping defences up, to protect themselves from the scammers’ next move. As a community, we must stay vigilant and Question EVERYTHING.”
News:
- Investment fraud victims lose £50,000 each in “sophisticated” scams, Commissioner warns
- Deputy Commissioner joins countrywide fight against fraud and serious organised crime
- “If you are a victim of fraud, you are a victim of crime”: Meet the volunteers working to protect Surrey’s residents
- “You are not alone”: Commissioner urges romance fraud victims to speak to police
- Has romance turned to finance? You could be the victim of a fraudster
- “More than ever, we need to come together to prevent harm in our communities”
