A deepfake scam is fraud that uses AI-generated or manipulated audio or video to impersonate a real person. A scammer might imitate a manager’s voice to request an urgent payment or use fabricated video to make a message seem credible. The synthetic media supports the deception; it does not by itself prove who sent or authorized a request.
These scams matter because familiar faces and voices can lower suspicion and pressure people into acting quickly. Defenses include confirming unusual requests through a separate, trusted channel, using agreed verification procedures for payments, and treating unexpected audio or video as unverified. Security tools may flag suspicious content, but protection depends on their specific capabilities and should not replace verification.