Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
The International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) has launched an awareness campaign among its Member States, including Zimbabwe, highlighting the growing risk posed by crime committed using AI-generated or AI-altered media to scam people.
Headquartered in Lyon, France, INTERPOL is the world’s largest international police organisation, connecting 196 member countries.
It maintains global databases containing police information on criminals and crime, and provides operational and forensic support, analysis services and training.
These policing capabilities are delivered worldwide and support four global programmes – financial crime and corruption, counter-terrorism, cybercrime; and organised and emerging crime.
INTERPOL’s latest campaign that is promoting the message ‘Wait. Validate. Don’t take the bait’, features three short AI-generated videos depicting how synthetic media, commonly known as ‘deepfakes’, can be used in scams.
Generative AI applications are becoming more sophisticated by the day. These tools can now convincingly reproduce the face of a real person, as well as create hyper-realistic avatars with human-like language skills.
According to INTERPOL, public understanding of how deepfakes can be used in crime remains low.
“Once seen as a threat mainly to public figures, synthetic media crime is now increasingly targeting private citizens through investment scams, impersonation, romance scams, sextortion, deepfake pornography, and disinformation.
“This may look like a video call from a supposed colleague requesting a bank transfer, a call from a family member in a difficult situation, or a seemingly genuine online relationship. Ultimately, these scams aim for one thing- to steal sensitive personal information or money from targets.”
Director of the INTERPOL Innovation Centre, Toshinobu Yasuhira said: “AI is erasing the tell-tale signs of a scam. Spelling mistakes, branding inconsistencies, clumsy formatting: these red flags are fast becoming a thing of the past.
“Anyone can fall victim to these scams, regardless of age, region, or sector. At INTERPOL, our work on this topic is designed to give law enforcement and the public the knowledge and resources they need to recognise these threats and act before the damage is done.”
