How new tools help protect (your) identity
 |
| clker.com |
Criminals are now using artificial intelligence (AI) to fake voices, faces, and even entire identities. At the same time, a quieter revolution is happening on the defense side: banks, platforms, and security companies are also using AI to spot those fakes and protect you. (constella+1)
You can think of it as AI fighting AI. One side uses AI to pretend to be you or somebody else; the other side uses AI to notice when “something about this doesn’t fit,” (weforum+1)
Caveat Emptier: This post was assembled with the help of Perplexity Pro. The references noted by line are from Perplexity, with complete references are included in the Sources section at the bottom. All references cited have confirmed for relevance to the topic at hand. A "+X" following a reference indicates that one of the other references on the list was also consulted or confirmed the content.)
1. Fetching and catching fake videos and voices
New AI tools are being trained to see and hear things that most of us would miss, especially in deepfake videos and cloned voices. (microblink+1)
They look for:
• Subtle signs in audio: an odd “robotic” quality, unnatural rhythm, or frequency patterns that don’t match how human voices normally behave. (microblink+1)
These detection tools are being built into fraud prevention systems, identity verification services, and even social platforms, so an AI generated “you” is more likely to be flagged before it’s used to open accounts or trick your family. (cloudsek+2)
More technical background:
- Best deepfake detection software overview (Microblink): https://microblink.com/resources/blog/best-deepfake-detection-software-2/[microblink]
- Deepfake detection platform example (Sensity): https://sensity.ai[sensity]
2. Is the “person on screen” real?
When you open a bank account, sign up for a new service, or verify your identity online, companies are increasingly using AI to decide whether the person on camera is both (a) a live human and (b) the same person shown on the ID. (constella+1)
This usually involves:
- Liveness checks: your phone may ask you to turn your head, blink, or read out numbers. AI watches to confirm it’s a live person, not a deepfake playing on another screen. (microblink)
- Smart ID checks: AI scans driver’s licenses and passports for tiny inconsistencies in fonts, barcodes, and photos that reveal edited or fake documents. (constella+1)
This makes it harder for a criminal to use an AI generated selfie plus a stolen Social Security number to pass as “you” and open new credit lines or phone accounts. (weforum+1)
More technical background:
- Synthetic identity overview (Constella): https://constella.ai/synthetic-identity-theft-in-2025/[constella]
3. “Synthetic people” and machine-made fraud patterns
A growing problem is “synthetic identities”—fake people created by mixing real and invented data. AI is being used on the defensive side to uncover these fakes and the fraud patterns behind them. (synectics-solutions+1)
Behind the scenes, systems:
- Build “identity maps”: AI links together addresses, devices, phone numbers, and behavior to see when many “different” customers actually look like they come from the same fraud factory. (synectics-solutions+1)
- Model normal behavior: systems learn what normal account activity looks like, then flag strange patterns—like dozens of new accounts from the same device, or spending that suddenly jumps in odd directions. (zentara+1)
This helps banks and card issuers stop synthetic identities before they do major damage and makes stolen or AI fabricated data less profitable. (rembrandtai+1)
More technical background:
- Synthetic identity fraud trends: https://constella.ai/synthetic-identity-theft-in-2025/[constella]
- Next phase” of synthetic identity fraud: https://www.synectics-solutions.com/our-thinking/inside-the-next-phase-of-synthetic-identity-fraud-tactics-and-trajectory[synectics-solutions]
4. AI inside identity protection and security services, Many identity protection services and security tools now quietly rely on AI. weforum+1
AI helps to:
- Scan huge data leaks and dark web markets for your personal data faster and more accurately. (weforum+1)
- Reduce “alert fatigue” by focusing on activity that really looks risky, instead of sending you a warning for every minor event. (weforum)
- Combine signals—credit changes, leaked passwords, suspicious logins—to warn you early when your identity may be under active attack. (constella+1)
So while these services can’t stop criminals from creating a deepfake of you, they can help catch and contain the damage quickly if someone tries to use that deepfake to steal your money or open accounts in your name. History+2
More technical background:
- How identity fraud is changing in the age of AI (World Economic Forum): https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/12/how-identity-fraud-is-increasing-in-the-age-of-ai/[weforum]
5. “Guardrails” on major platforms
Finally, big platforms and security vendors are adding AI powered guardrails to reduce harmful AI use and make abuse easier to trace. (vectra+1)
These include:
- Scanning uploads: platforms can automatically check whether a video looks AI generated and label or limit it. (vectra+1)
- Stronger scam detection: email and security tools use AI to flag messages that look like AI written phishing or “too perfect” scam websites, blocking them before you ever see them. (zentara+1)
The goal is not to eliminate all deepfakes—no one can promise that—but to create an environment where it’s much harder to use AI secretly against ordinary people. (vectra+1)
More technical background:
• Vectra AI topic hub (AI in security): https://www.vectra.ai/topics[vectra]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You protect yourself from AI deepfake fraud mainly by changing your habits: never trust screens or voices alone, slow down under pressure, verify through another channel, and reduce the raw material criminals can copy. (dfpi.ca+1)
1. New ground rules for calls, texts, and videos, Treat every unexpected, emotional message—especially about money or secrets—as suspicious, no matter how real it looks or sounds. (ourgrovecu+1)
- Pause on urgency: if a call or video feels rushed, emotional, or scary, take a breath and slow everything down before doing anything. (vfreedom+2)
- Never act on one channel alone: if “your bank,” “your boss,” or “your grandchild” contacts you, hang up and call back using a number you already trust (card, website, saved contact). (regions+2)
- Don’t trust caller ID or profile pictures: both are easy to fake with AI; always verify using a separate contact method. (dfpi.ca+1)
2. Family and friend “safe words”. A simple code word protocol blocks many voice clone and “grandparent” scams. (tntmax+2)
- Create a secret word or question: something only close family or trusted friends know, never written online or in email. (mcafee+1)
- Use it for emergencies: if anyone calls or messages with an urgent request (“I’m in jail,” “I had an accident,” “wire money now”), ask for the code word; if they don’t know it, hang up and call a known number. (oceanbank+2)
- Teach the rule to kids and older relatives: everyone in the chain must know “no code word, no money, no secrets.” (cfca+2)
3. Limit what criminals can copy. Deepfake tools need samples of your face and voice; the less you give them, the harder their job becomes. (hbs+2)
- Be picky about posting video/audio: avoid posting long, clear clips of you speaking, especially with emotional phrases (“help me,” “I’m stuck,” etc.) (mcafee+1)
- Tighten social media privacy: restrict who can see your posts and remove old, unnecessary content that exposes your voice, habits, and location. (dfpi.ca+1)
- Change voicemail behavior: consider a generic recorded greeting instead of your natural, full sentence voice, and don’t say your full name, address, or family details. (cfca)
- Use long passphrases: at least 16 characters, like “BlueCoffeeMugMorning2026” rather than short, clever-looking passwords. (acrisure)
- Turn on multi factor authentication (MFA): use an app or hardware key, not SMS if you can; this means even a convincing deepfake still needs the extra code. (acrisure+1)
- Lock down your credit when possible: consider credit freezes or fraud alerts with major bureaus so criminals can’t easily open new accounts in your name. (fincen+1)
5. Build “zero trust” habits at home and work, Borrow a simple idea from cybersecurity: trust nothing sensitive without checking. (a daptivesecurity+2)
- For families: agree that no one ever moves money, buys gift cards, or sends crypto based solely on a call, text, or video—there must be a call back or second check. (freedom+)
- For work: treat any unusual payment change, wire request, or “urgent” executive message as fake until verified by a separate call or in person check. (egions+2)
- Train yourself with examples: skim a few deepfake scam explainers so your brain has a “pattern” to recognize when something feels off.magazine. (columbia+2)
6. If you think you’ve been targeted, quick action can limit damage and help others avoid the same scam. (ic3+2)
- Stop and document: save call logs, messages, screenshots, and any payment details.
- Contact your bank or card issuer immediately and explain that this may involve an AI deepfake or voice clone; ask them to flag the account and help recover funds if possible. (fincen+1)
- Report it: use the FBI’s IC3 site in the U.S. (ic3.gov) or your state regulator/consumer protection office so patterns can be tracked. (ic3+2)
No comments:
Post a Comment