Plus, deepfake videos are spreading — how to spot them. Lost kids found through video doorbells, dozens fall for Facebook scam, and ways to hide your phone number.
5 things that make you a target online
Too many people share just about everything online. That’s a one-way ticket to Scamtown. Some info makes you an especially prime target. Keep these close to the vest.
1. Your relationship status
Widows and widowers are big targets. Crooks want to get their grimy hands on inheritance money. Take Rosalie Douglass, who tried her hand at online dating and listed “widow” as her relationship status. Two different scammers connected with Rosalie and swindled her out of a staggering $430,000.
Pro tip: If you’re a widow or widower, keep it off your dating and social media apps. You never know who’s watching.
2. Your vacation plans
Tiffany posted about her family’s upcoming Carnival cruise on Facebook by sharing shots of her tickets. She didn’t think about the fact her booking reference number was included. The same day, a scammer created a new Carnival account using Tiffany’s confirmation number. They canceled her booking and ruined her $15,000 trip.
Pro tip: Announcing your vacation plans before or during your trip screams “Rob me!” Take tons of pics on your vacation, but don’t share them until you’re home.
3. Videos of you talking
AI tools make it cheap and easy for anyone to create a deepfake video. Recently, on TikTok, a woman named Sam said a shady brand stole her face and used it to promote their product. They did it all with a video from her social media account and some deepfake software.
Pro tip: Limit the personal information you share online, especially high-quality photos and videos of you talking. For most folks, setting your social media accounts to “private” is the way to go.
4. Expensive electronics you’re selling
A South Carolina man listed a limited-edition PlayStation on a Facebook buy-sell-trade group. The “buyer” he met up with pulled out a gun and made off with the PlayStation, plus the man’s phone, wallet and watch. Scary.
A slew of Trump fakes are coming – How to spot them
Folks, before you even think about writing me a note saying, “You wrote this ‘cause you hate Trump” or “You wrote this ‘cause you love Trump,” don’t waste your time. I’m not talking politics today, and I’m not taking sides. I’m protecting you from falling for deepfakes and the absolute barrage of junk you can expect on social media in the coming days, weeks and months.
🚨 It’s not him: Elon Musk isn’t pitching crypto investments with obscene returns all over social and YouTube — they’re deepfake videos. A Michigan resident who lost $700,000 to scammers grew suspicious when, after he sent his money, he couldn’t find any info about the crypto company. Another victim in Nevada lost $220,000. Come on … you have to be smarter than to fall for this.
Deepfake warning: 6 signs the video you’re watching isn’t real
Have you seen the crazy deepfakes of “Barbie” star Margot Robbie? There’s one of her scrubbing a floor that looks so real, it’s shocking.
If that one was new to you, I’m sure you’re familiar with the infamous deepfake Tom Cruise that took the internet by storm. That one was so successful it spawned an entire deepfake company. Or maybe you remember when the Pope was walking around in a hip puffer jacket. Nah, wasn’t him.
Watch out for these scams surrounding the death of Queen Elizabeth II
The more widespread the news, the more scams and hoaxes you’ll see. The pandemic gave rise to countless scams involving fake news, fake testing kits, and dangerous misinformation disguised as legitimate research. We saw similar tactics when Russia invaded Ukraine.
📈 Pump and dump: Scammers are impersonating billionaires on Facebook, duping folks out of their savings with promises of unrealistic stock returns. Victims get an ad touting “exclusive” tips via WhatsApp, complete with deepfake videos and “guaranteed” profits. Come on, you have to be smarter than that to fall for these shysters.
Crypto scam red flags: No, Elon Musk isn't trying to help you make money in crypto
Entrepreneur and eccentric billionaire Elon Musk is far too busy negotiating a new buyout deal with Twitter’s board to promote cryptocurrency. How do we know that? The latest video is a deepfake and is easy to spot.
Deepfake bot 'undresses' 100K women with fake nude photos on messaging app
Deepfakes have been a topic of controversy ever since they first emerged on the web. To make a deepfake, creators will take ordinary photos and digitally stitch them to videos with the help of machine-learning AI. The result: an uncanny clip of someone who was never filmed.
Don't believe your ears. Is voice cloning the future for clever scammers?
There are already enough concerns in life out there to keep people with anxiety up at night. Think things can’t get any worse? Well, you’re wrong. New voice impersonation technology could be a game-changer for scammers.
Facebook won't limit political ads, but you can choose what you see
Though candidates started hitting the campaign trail last year, the arrival of 2020 marks the official start of election season. And where there’s a U.S. Presidential election, there’s ample opportunity for political ads, disinformation campaigns and other digital mischief.
Facebook is banning 'deepfake' videos created to fool you
We’ve been hearing a lot about the spreading of fake news lately — especially on social media sites during election years like this one.
That’s why many of us look for verification when someone is said to have done something outrageous. We turn to proof like video or audio recordings. The problem is technology has advanced to the point where videos can be faked.
New face-swapping app is going viral but there's a gotcha
A new face-swapping video app allows people to use a photo of themselves to take the place of an actor in a clip of a TV show or movie. What might seem like innocent fun has of course gone viral, but now it’s getting some serious backlash due to increasing privacy concerns around the world.
Take this test to see if you can spot fake news
As hard as they may try, social media platforms have a lot of trouble shutting down the misinformation and conspiracy theories that make up a fake news epidemic. That’s why a group of researchers created a game to help people better understand how to spot fake news, and therefore curb how far it’s spread.
Terrifyingly realistic deepfake video is a scary celebrity mashup
Whenever you hear a piece of news that sounds too crazy to be true, your first reaction is probably that you need proof. That’s the most sensible thing to do.
Look for a piece of audio, or better yet, a video that captured whatever supposedly went down. But there’s technology now that can fool you into thinking something happened when, actually, it didn’t.
Deepfake porn videos are now being used to publicly harass ordinary people
Technology is constantly advancing at astronomical speeds, and while that can have a lot of benefits, there are also some dark sides. Recently criminals have been using a new form of technology to make it look like people are performing certain acts that they never committed. They aren’t doing this to just celebrities, they might be coming after you.
Deepfake videos have new tech you need to know about
Fake news is one of the scourges of our increasingly connected world. With billions having instant access to social media sites and the web, misinformation can spread quickly like wildfire.
To discern what’s bogus from real, we typically rely on concrete proof, like a video, for example, to prove that something was actually said or done.
The serious threat of deepfake videos
Open/download audioUltra-realistic but fake videos are being made of people saying and doing things they’ve never done. It’s deepfake technology and in this Consumer Tech Update, Kim explains why it’s even more disturbing and dangerous than fake news.
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Deepfake video technology is the next big thing in fake news
Fake news is one of the scourges of our increasingly connected world. With billions having instant access to social media sites and the web, misinformation can spread quickly like wildfire. To discern what’s bogus from real, we typically rely on concrete proof, like a video, for example, to prove that something was actually said or done.