Deepfake cases from this library, from the Arup video call where every colleague was fake to cloned CEO voices that didn't work. For each one: what was faked, what it cost, and what would have stopped it.
A deepfake is AI-generated video, audio or imagery that makes a real person appear to say or do something they never did. In scams, that means a "CFO" on a video call, a cloned executive's voice on WhatsApp, or a celebrity "endorsing" an investment in a Facebook ad. Seeing and hearing someone used to settle the question of who you're dealing with. Not any more.
Key takeaways
The big-money version. A finance worker joins a call where the boss, or several colleagues, are AI fakes. See voice cloning for the audio-only kind.
Candidates who don't exist, or who use a filter to look like someone else. This overlaps with synthetic identity fraud.
Doctored videos of well-known figures promoting a scheme, usually crypto, pushed through social media ads.
| Case | The fake | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Arup, 2024 | A video call where, police said, every other participant was a deepfake | 15 transfers, HK$200 million (about US$25.6 million) |
| Singapore, 2026 | A fake Zoom "government meeting" built from real footage of the prime minister with new speech | At least S$4.9 million transferred |
| Ohio romance ring, 2026 | AI video personas in romance scams | DOJ alleges 130+ older Americans lost $15 million+ |
| KnowBe4, 2024 | A North Korean operative hired after four video interviews, with an AI-enhanced photo and a stolen identity | Malware started loading as soon as his laptop arrived |
| Fake celebrity investment ad, 2023 | Deepfaked video of a consumer-finance advocate and a tech entrepreneur | A kitchen fitter lost about £76,000, including four loans |
| WPP, 2024 | A Teams call with a cloned voice of a senior executive | Failed; no payment was ever asked for |
| LastPass, 2024 | A cloned CEO voice on WhatsApp | Failed; the employee reported it |
| Binance, 2022 | A claimed deepfake "hologram" of an executive on Zoom calls with crypto projects | Based on the executive's own claim |
A finance employee in Arup's Hong Kong office joined a video conference with what looked like the company's CFO and several colleagues. According to Hong Kong police, every one of them except the employee was a deepfake built from public footage. The employee then made 15 transfers totalling HK$200 million, about US$25.6 million. Police said the fake participants barely interacted, which in hindsight was a clue.
Security training firm KnowBe4 hired a software engineer after four video interviews. The photo was an AI-enhanced stock image and the identity was stolen from a real American. He was a North Korean operative, and malware started loading the moment his company laptop arrived.
Tip: sort out the check before anyone needs it. Ring back on the number you've got saved, or ask something only the real person would know. A fake face can't get past that, and neither can a fake voice.
Fake video or audio of a real person, made with AI. Usually it's a boss, a government official or someone famous, and the point is to get money, access or trust out of you.
Look for stiff movement, odd lighting around the face, or people who barely interact on a call. But don't rely on spotting it. A callback through a channel you chose is far more dependable. See how to spot a deepfake.
In this library, Arup in 2024: about US$25.6 million moved in 15 transfers after a video call full of deepfaked colleagues.
Yes. Hours before Maharashtra's 2024 state election, audio clips of two opposition leaders spread that forensic analysts later found to be substantially AI-generated. See the Maharashtra case.
Reviewed by the SEE Team on 23 October 2026; every case linked here has its sources on its own page.
Fraudsters faked WPP CEO Mark Read on WhatsApp and staged a Teams call with a cloned executive voice. The agency head said no. Why that matters.
DASomeone used the White House chief of staff's phone contacts and an AI-like voice to call senators and executives, asking for a pardon list and cash.
DAA Singapore businessman sent at least S$4.9M after a fake Zoom "government meeting" built from real footage of PM Lawrence Wong and other officials.
DAA Bengaluru retiree lost Rs 6.88 lakh after a deepfake Facebook ad of India's finance minister pitched a fake SBI-linked scheme. How the scam worked.
DAAn attacker sent a LastPass employee WhatsApp calls and a voicemail using an AI copy of the CEO's voice. The employee reported it. What gave it away.
DAKnowBe4 hired a North Korean operative using a stolen US identity and an AI-enhanced photo in 2024. Malware started on his laptop; it was contained in 25 min.
DAThe FBI's December 2024 warning on AI-enabled fraud: AI text, fake IDs, cloned voices and deepfake video, and what the FBI says to do about each.
DAIn 2025 the US sanctioned North Korean fronts that place fake IT workers abroad, and a US laptop farm operator got 102 months. How the scheme works.
DAA deepfaked Martin Lewis Facebook ad led to a fake adviser, a Revolut account, £5,000 of savings and £70,000 in loans. How it ran and what exposed it.
DAToronto firm CoHost spent two months interviewing a candidate it now believes was a fabricated persona with fake references. The warning signs.
DAAn Arup employee in Hong Kong sent HK$200M (US$25.6M) after a video call where everyone else was a deepfake. How the fake meeting worked and what stops it.
DABinance's comms chief said scammers used an AI "hologram" of him on Zoom calls. The impersonation is real; the deepfake was never shown. What the record supports.
DAProsecutors allege Ghanaian twins used fake female personas and AI video to take $15M+ from 130+ older Americans. What is alleged and what isn't known.
DAPolice say a gang turned photos into AI blinking clips to beat Aadhaar face checks, hijack linked phone numbers and take loans. Seven arrests so far.
DA
Social Engineering Examples