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Everyone on the video call was fake.

In early 2024, a finance worker at engineering firm Arup in Hong Kong sent HK$200 million (about US$25.6 million) in 15 transactions after a video call he believed was with the company's chief financial officer and colleagues. Everyone on the call was a deepfake.

01The case
Date
Reported to police in January 2024 (disclosed by police in February, by the company in May)
Where
Hong Kong
Target
A finance worker at Arup in Hong Kong
Method
Multi-person video call with deepfake images and voices of the CFO and other staff
Amount
HK$200 million (about US$25.6 million), in 15 transactions

The worker first received a message that appeared to come from the company's UK-based chief financial officer. It spoke of a secret transaction; at first, the worker suspected it was a phishing email.

He then joined a multi-person video call with the CFO and other colleagues he recognised; they all looked and sounded like the people he knew. According to Hong Kong police, everyone on the call was fake. His doubts set aside, the worker sent a total of HK$200 million in 15 transactions.

The fraud came to light only when the worker later checked with the company's head office. In May 2024, Arup confirmed to CNN that fake voices and images were used, and said its financial stability and business operations were not affected and none of its internal systems were compromised.

02What we learn

Familiar faces and familiar voices did the convincing.

  • The worker suspected the right thing; what dispelled his doubts were the familiar faces and voices on the call.
  • Several "colleagues" on the call added to the trust. A crowded call is not verification.
  • When a secret, urgent transfer is requested, confirm it through a known channel outside the call.

SynVoi analyses the voice: however convincing the video, it gives a separate signal on whether the speech is synthetic.

03Sources

This post is compiled from the public news reports below; figures and dates are as reported in the sources. The image is illustrative.

  1. CNNFinance worker pays out $25 million after video call with deepfake ‘chief financial officer’
  2. CNNArup revealed as victim of $25 million deepfake scam involving Hong Kong employee
04More news

All news

05Contact

Catch the cloned voice before the call ends.

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