Beware of Deepfakes! Learn How to Spot the Different Types

Beware of deepfakes because they are getting so real that many people can’t tell the difference anymore. Hackers use deepfakes to trick businesses, steal data, or ruin reputations.

 In this blog, you will learn the common types of deepfakes, how to detect them, and simple ways to protect yourself and your business from falling for these dangerous digital scams.

What Are Deepfakes and How Do They Work?

Suddenly your friend John called you to ask for confidential information about your company, your bank account or your digital platforms? Suspicious, isn’t it? Be careful! You are facing a Deepfake!

Deepfakes are video clips or images altered with artificial intelligence that simulate real people speaking and acting. These AI models are trained with large data sets and deep learning to go unnoticed and trick you.  

Then these models alter the data to shovel out synthetic media which is usually indistinguishable from genuine content. When it comes to fake celebrity videos or cloned voices, deepfakes used generative adversarial networks (GANs) to create realistic forgeries. 

But don’t think that these tools were created for nefarious purposes. Originally, they were created for entertainment, but they are increasingly being weaponized to cause disinformation, fraud and manipulation, which has raised alarms in digital environments, including but not limited to social media, politics and cybersecurity. 

Why You Should Beware of Deepfakes

Deepfakes have moved beyond entertainment value — they’re a threat to people, companies and society. Cybercriminals and bad actors exploit deepfake technology to spread misinformation, conduct phishing attacks, and impersonate trusted individuals. 

A manipulation seems like a simple thing, but actually something so minor can greatly damage a company’s reputation, derail an election and even facilitate financial fraud. And of course, to all this we have to add the technological advances, which make it increasingly difficult to distinguish between the real thing and what is done with AI. 

The first step to protecting you and your organization is raising awareness and getting informed about these risks.

Different Types of Deepfakes & How to Spot Them

Face-Swapping Deepfakes

This is the most common type. In this type, the face of one person is seamlessly grafted onto the body of another in a video. They can be quite convincing, particularly when high-quality footage and advanced AI algorithms are involved.

Here’s how to identify them:

 

• • Inconsistencies: Illumination, Foot tones, Facial expressions. All of these look organic in the video? For example, look at the hair, does it behave naturally in the video?

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• • Source: Where does this video come from? It is important to beware of unofficial sources and unknown channels. 

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• • Listen carefully: Does the voice really sound like a human? Does it match the person’s usual sound? Look at the tone, timbre and accent as well. 

Deepfake Audio

In this case we go with audio only. These are synthesized recordings of people’s voices. Then, they mimic the speech patterns and intonations of a person you know or are supposed to know to communicate with you and manipulate you. For example, with an audio from a messaging application. 

Here’s how to identify them:

 

• • Listen critically: Deepfake audio may sound somewhat robotic or unnatural. This is particularly true against real recordings of the same individual. Listen for unexplained pauses. And, also, inconsistent pronunciation or an odd stress, too.

• • Compare the content: Is the content of the audio message consistent with what the person would say? Or in the frame it comes in? As for me, I see if the content looks unusual or inconsistent with known facts.

• • Look for verification: Is there any independent evidence that confirms or disproves any of the claims made? Otherwise, take it with a grain of salt.

Text-Based Deepfakes

This is a nascent form of deepfake. It generates written content using AI. Like social media posts, articles, or email. It mimics the writing style of a particular person or publication. These can also be increasingly harmful. They can be used by scammers to spread false information or impersonate someone online.)

Here’s a guide for spotting them:

 

• • Read critically: Look for the writing style, vocabulary and tone. Does it sound similar to the way the person or publication regularly writes? Search for odd wording, grammatical mistakes, or tension in tone.

• • Make sure what you read is factually accurate: Make sure the information in the text matches a reliable source. Do not confirm based only on the content itself.

• • Watch out for emotional triggers: Be careful of content that elicits strong feelings. Like fear, anger, or outrage. Scammers could be playing you with these to influence your judgment.

Deepfake Videos with Object Manipulation

It is almost the same as faces and voices, but here, in addition, they manipulate objects to give that sense of altered appearance or behavior. This can be used to alter events that never happened or modify visual evidence. 

Here’s how to identify them:

 

• • Examine physics and movement: Evaluate the motion of objects in the video. Realistic movements and sound effects, for instance, should be and should follow the laws of physics. Watch for unnatural movement650 → Sudden changes on object size, or lighting and shadow rays that are not lighting rays.

• • Look for original video: If you can, go for the source of the video footage. This will enable you to compare it to the altered version and detect changes.

In the era of deepfakes, it’s imperative to stay alert and think critically.

How to Detect Deepfakes: Key Warning Signs

Make sure to check the info with trusted platforms. Doing so will make you more knowledgeable and more secure. How to Identify Deepfakes: Warning Signs to Look Out For

As deepfakes get more sophisticated, spotting them can be difficult—but there are red flags to look out for:

Inconsistent Facial Movements and Blinking

Look at the eyes, always look at the eyes. Deepfakes have difficulty correctly imitating eye movements such as blinking and other facial movements. If you notice anything stiff in this regard, you have reason to be suspicious. 

Audio-Visual Mismatches

Audio deepfakes can sound too perfect or robotic; video deepfakes might show poorly synced lip movements. Notice if the tone of audio, pitch and pace matches the natural movement of the speakers lips.

Distorted Backgrounds and Artifacts

Numerous deepfake video clips exhibit weird artifacts, blurry edges or twisted backgrounds — particularly where the individual steps. Subtle faults in these regions can indicate manipulation.

Protecting Yourself from Deepfakes

Being alert and practicing smart habits in the digital age will help you avoid being a victim of deepfakes. First, never believe or share information online before verifying it from multiple trusted sources. 

We can always verify. In fact, there are reverse lookups and image and video verification tools. These tools are extremely important for companies, as they allow them to filter deepfakes and thus save themselves from manipulations that can end in financial tragedies.

We recently spoke with managed IT service company owner Tim Richter of RCOR Technologies, whose team fields deepfake-related incidents almost weekly. “Last quarter a convincingly cloned CEO voice memo nearly triggered a six-figure wire transfer, but our dual-verification policy and quick reverse-audio search stopped it cold,” Richter explains. He adds that pairing staff drills on deepfake red flags with strict multi-factor approval for any monetary request “turns social-engineering gambits into minor hiccups, not headline scandals.”

Finally, education is always important. Train your staff and family about these threats so that they can be alert when necessary. 

Above all, exercise extreme caution regarding your personal data — the less you share online, the less likely a deepfake could be used against you.

Criminals are using deepfakes for phishing. Just by clicking on one, you may have downloaded a virus. A device security checkup can give you peace of mind. We’ll take a look for any potential threats and remove them.

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This Article has been Republished with Permission from The Technology Press.