🚨 FBI WARNING: “You can no longer trust your eyes or ears.”
AI deepfakes are now so realistic that criminals are impersonating your family, friends—even government officials!—to scam you.
Losses already top $50 BILLION. The crisis is real.
Here’s what you need to know 🧵
2/ Deepfakes = AI-generated audio, video, or images that look & sound indistinguishable from reality.
Criminals use them to:
• Pose as loved ones in distress 💔
• Pretend to be law enforcement or bank officials 💰
• Impersonate public figures for scams 🎥
And YOU LOSE.
3/ Since 2020:
⚠️ 4.2 million fraud reports
💸 $50.5 BILLION in losses
😱 <5% of stolen money ever recovered
And it’s about to get worse: Deepfake scams could cost $40 BILLION ANNUALLY by 2027.
4/ Case in point:
An 80-year-old Canadian man lost $15,000 after seeing a Facebook ad with a deepfake of Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford promoting a fake “mutual fund.”
He clicked. He trusted the voice. He was wiped out.
5/ FBI & American Bankers Association warn: watch for these deepfake red flags:
• Blurred/distorted faces 👤
• Weird blinking or teeth 👀
• Audio slightly out of sync 🎙️
• Tone too flat, robotic, or emotional 🎭
But the tech is so good now that none of that may be enough.
6/ The biggest giveaway isn’t technical—it’s emotional.
Scammers rely on urgency & fear:
👉 “I need money NOW.”
👉 “Don’t tell anyone.”
👉 “You’ll be in trouble if you don’t act.”
If it feels rushed, STOP.
7/ FBI advice to protect yourself:
✅ Use code words with family members
✅ Double-check unexpected requests for money
✅ Verify by calling back on a known number
✅ Pause before reacting to emotional pleas
8/ This isn’t just grandma’s problem. Executives, small businesses, and financial employees are being targeted too.
AI can replicate a CEO’s voice to order wire transfers—and employees fall for it. Why wouldn't they?
9/ Bottom line:
AI deepfakes are the new frontier of fraud.
If you don’t learn to spot them, you’re a target.
Educate yourself. Educate your family. Share this thread so more people don’t get scammed.
🔁 And repost to spread the warning.
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