Fenton Police Officer warns people about deep fake video scam after he got scammed
FENTON, La. (KLFY)-- A Fenton Police Officer is warning about an artificial intelligence scam, called deep fake. The scam involves the use of AI technology to create convincing but entirely fabricated content, such as videos, audio clips, or pictures.
"We've had a rise in people getting scammed and the problem we're having is the scams are getting very good. The technology out there is unreal," said Sergeant Vernon O'Quinn with Fenton Police.
O'Quinn said his department has seen an increase in scams in the area. One in particular is a scam using artificial intelligence to create a deep fake video of a loved one or friend asking for money. He's saying he's even experienced it firsthand but knew what to do immediately to avoid being a victim.
"My brother-in-law contacted me through messenger and when he did that, and I answered it, it was a short video," O'Quinn said. "It wasn't a long video but a short video of him. And the message on that video was 'hey look I need $250. I'm going to send you a cash app, can you send it to me. I'll explain everything later but I'm in pretty big trouble and the phone disconnected."
O'Quinn said as soon as the video cut off, it deleted itself, but he kept the cash app tag that requested the funds. He said because he knew immediately not to trust the video, he called his brother-in-law to check and see if it was really him and he said it wasn't. O'Quinn said social media is a great tool if it's used in a proper way, but can be very dangerous in situations like what he experienced.
"You know social media is an open door for them to collect all of your personal information. They'll generate a picture, they'll generate a voice because you have videos on your Facebook," O'Quinn said.
He said he wants to warn people, especially the elderly because deep fake scams are so realistic, if you are not careful you can become a victim. O'Quinn said some things to keep in mind in order to avoid being scammed is to never send money online, always call and check with the person to make sure it is real, if you are no sure, hang up the phone, and contact local law enforcement.