Warning deepfake scams on horizon

NETSAFE’S chief executive Martin Cocker says deepfake scams will be upon us within a few years.

He was sceptical, though, that KimMarie Jackson had experienced such a technologically sophisticated con and said it was more likely those ripping her off used a lookalike of US celebrity Zak Bagans.

If they kept the quality of the video link low, the actor could look and sound enough like the person they were impersonating, to convince the victim.

Even so, Mr Cocker said, such hustles were resourceintensive and therefore rare.

That was not to say they would remain so.

Mr Cocker said all the money made from fraud could be reinvested in new schemes to persuade people to part with their money.

Mr Cocker was sympathetic to Jackson’s plight.

“It’s really easy to say only fools fall for scams . . . but there’s no question we see sophisticated, intelligent people drawn into scams and seasoned investors,” Mr Cocker said.

The advice for those involved in internet romances was clear.

“No matter how long an online relationship has gone on, at the point they ask for money or for you to travel on their behalf, stop and do a complete review.”