INTERPOL launches campaign warning that AI deepfakes can fuel everyday scams

INTERPOL has launched a public-awareness campaign about scams that use AI-generated or altered media, warning that deepfakes are increasingly being used to impersonate private citizens’ friends, relatives and colleagues. The campaign, announced Oct. 19, features three short videos made with AI to show how synthetic media can be used in fraud.

The agency says tools for generating realistic faces and voices have become easier to use and can reproduce a real person from a small amount of material found online. It describes possible scenarios including a video call from a supposed colleague seeking a bank transfer, or a call from a family member claiming to be in crisis. INTERPOL also lists investment and romance scams, sextortion, deepfake pornography and disinformation among the threats involving synthetic media.

The campaign’s message is “Wait. Validate. Don’t take the bait.” INTERPOL advises people to resist pressure to act immediately, consult someone they trust and verify requests through a known channel—for example, by hanging up and calling the person back at a number they already have. It also suggests agreeing on a “safe word” with family or friends for suspicious calls and enabling two-factor authentication.

For businesses, the agency recommends training staff to recognize deepfake scams, voice phishing and social engineering, and setting up multi-step checks for financial transactions or data transfers. INTERPOL says large transfers should include face-to-face confirmation. Anyone who suspects they have been targeted should contact local police; people who have recently sent money should also contact their bank promptly.

The campaign is part of Project SynthWave PLUS, which INTERPOL says supports law enforcement in Southeast Asia and beyond through research, public awareness and training on synthetic-media threats. The project is financially supported by the Japanese government.