The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has brought many benefits to our daily lives. However, alongside these developments, new risks have also emerged—one of the most alarming being the misuse of deepfake and AI voice cloning technologies for fraudulent purposes.
What Are Deepfakes and AI Voice Scams?
A deepfake is a type of technology that uses AI to manipulate a person’s face and expressions in a video, making it appear as if the individual is saying or doing something that never actually happened. These videos can be extremely convincing—often difficult to distinguish from real footage with the naked eye.
Meanwhile, an AI voice scam is a form of fraud that uses technology to clone someone’s voice. With just a few seconds of recorded audio, AI can generate an artificial voice that closely mimics a specific person—including their speech patterns, intonation, and accent.
The Misuse of Artificial Intelligence: Now Used for Scams?
The misuse of deepfake technology and AI voice scams has become increasingly widespread in the real world, causing significant financial and reputational damage. One alarming case involved the circulation of a fake video showing a government official delivering a controversial statement. The video appeared highly convincing and triggered public panic, even though the statement had never actually been made.
Another incident occurred in a corporate setting, where cybercriminals used an AI-generated voice that closely resembled the CEO of a major company. In a phone call, the “CEO” instructed a finance staff member to transfer a sum of money to a specific account. Because the voice and tone were nearly identical to the real CEO, the employee didn’t suspect anything—until it was too late and they realized they had been scammed.
These tactics don’t just target institutions—they’re also used to deceive individuals. In one case, a scammer imitated the voice of a victim’s family member, such as a child or sibling, and pretended to be in an emergency situation. Under emotional pressure, the victim was asked to send money or share sensitive information—and many fell for it, believing it was truly their loved one on the line.
Sweet Talk, Smart Tech: The Rise of AI Romance Scams
AI-powered love scams are becoming an increasingly common and difficult-to-detect form of fraud. Scammers use deepfake technology and AI chatbots to create fake identities that appear highly convincing—in terms of facial features, voice, and communication style. With these fabricated personas, they build emotional relationships with victims through dating apps or social media. The chatbots are specially programmed to speak in a romantic and personalized tone, making them seem truly human. Once trust is established, the scammers begin asking for money—citing emergencies, travel plans, or other fabricated reasons. In many cases, victims end up suffering financial losses and emotional trauma.
According to data from Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority (OJK), digital fraud—including love scams—has caused losses of up to IDR 700 billion in just the past three months. A global survey revealed that 1 in 4 people had been tempted by an AI chatbot, and more than half realized they had interacted with non-human accounts. As a result, there is growing support for digital verification systems like “Proof of Human” to ensure that users are real people. These efforts aim to curb the spread of fake accounts, restore user trust, and protect the public from increasingly sophisticated AI-driven scams.
Why Is This a Serious Threat?
What makes deepfakes and AI voice scams particularly dangerous is how difficult they are to detect. The level of realism produced by these technologies is increasing rapidly, to the point where the average person often cannot distinguish between real and fake content. To make matters worse, this kind of manipulated media can spread rapidly across social media or messaging platforms, going viral within minutes and causing panic or widespread misinformation.
Even more concerning is that these threats don’t just target individuals—they also affect organizations, businesses, and even government institutions. From everyday employees and public officials to small business owners, anyone can become a victim. The impact is broad and multi-dimensional—ranging from financial loss and broken trust between partners to damaged reputations and even threats to social stability.
Steps You Can Take to Protect Yourself
To address the threat of deepfakes and AI voice scams, prevention should begin with simple but essential actions—such as verifying through multiple communication channels. Never rely solely on a single medium—whether it’s email, voice message, or video call—when receiving instructions, especially if they involve sensitive matters. If possible, always confirm the request through official channels or in-person meetings to ensure authenticity.
It’s also important for both individuals and organizations to improve digital literacy. Regularly educating employees, family members, and business partners about emerging scams and how to recognize them is key to building strong first-line defenses. Understanding how these technologies work helps reduce the likelihood of falling for manipulated content.
From an organizational perspective, companies must also strengthen internal security systems and procedures. This includes implementing multi-factor authentication, enforcing strict anti-fraud policies, and conducting regular audits of critical communications. These measures can significantly reduce the risk of damaging incidents before they occur.
Lastly, it’s crucial that everyone remains critical of digital content—whether it’s a video, voice clip, or instant message. If something seems odd, overly urgent, or emotionally charged, don’t react immediately. Take a step back and investigate the facts before taking any action. A few extra minutes of caution can prevent serious consequences.
Security Starts with Awareness
Deepfakes and AI voice scams are relatively new forms of cyber threats, yet their impact can be highly damaging. That’s why it’s essential for both individuals and organizations to remain vigilant and equip themselves with the right knowledge and awareness.
In today’s digital era, seeing is no longer believing, and hearing doesn’t always mean it’s true. Keep safe and aware, Bertahans!