Deepfakes are fake videos, images, or audio created using AI. They look and sound real but are completely made up. In 2025, deepfakes are being used in scams more than ever.

What’s Happening?

Cybercriminals use deepfakes to:

• Pretend to be company executives and order money transfers.
• Spread false news to damage reputations.
• Trick people into revealing personal information.

Why Deepfakes Are Dangerous

Deepfakes are hard to detect because they look so real. This makes them perfect for social engineering attacks — tricks that manipulate people into doing something harmful.

Social engineering means using psychological tricks to get people to give away information or perform actions that help the attacker.

Real Example

In 2025, a finance manager received a video call from what looked like their CEO, asking for an urgent payment. It was a deepfake. The company lost $500,000 before realizing the truth.

How to Spot Deepfakes

• Look for unnatural blinking or facial movements.
• Check for mismatched lighting or shadows.
• Verify requests through another channel.

How to Protect Yourself

• Train staff: Teach employees about deepfake risks.
• Use verification steps: Always confirm big requests through multiple methods.
• Invest in detection tools: Some software can spot deepfakes.

Conclusion

Deepfakes are a growing cybersecurity threat. In 2025, being skeptical of unexpected video or audio requests is essential.