Old Mutual Warns of Rising Deepfake Scams in South Africa
Old Mutual has issued a warning about the increasing threat of deepfake scams in South Africa, highlighting a 1,200% surge in such attacks over the past year—the highest globally. These scams involve the use of artificial intelligence to create realistic fake videos, voices, and images that impersonate celebrities or company executives, deceiving individuals into divulging personal information or transferring funds. A recent Kaspersky survey found that up to 80% of South Africans struggle to distinguish between real and AI-generated content. Notable incidents include a deepfake video of the late Raymond Ackerman promoting a fraudulent investment scheme. Old Mutual advises the public to remain vigilant by verifying suspicious communications, looking for signs of manipulation such as unnatural blinking or mismatched lip movements, and using online tools like TinEye, Deepware, and Resemble.ai to detect deepfakes. The company emphasizes the need for a collective effort to combat this growing threat.
