AI is making deepfake and phishing scams easier for cyber criminals

In short: Cyber criminals are using AI to create more believable scams, including deepfake video calls and highly targeted phishing messages.

What's going on

A report in the Financial Times describes how hacking groups are using generative AI tools to impersonate real people and trick employees. One example involves a North Korean group, PutridSlug, that allegedly used deepfake video and audio on Zoom calls to pose as company executives. The goal was to pressure staff into downloading malicious code, which can be used for theft.

Generative AI means software that can produce new text, images, audio, or video, like a fast content writer that never gets tired. Security researchers say this is changing the cost of crime. Instead of sending sloppy mass emails, attackers can now produce convincing, personalised messages at scale.

Attackers often collect public details from places like LinkedIn and company websites. They then write emails that sound like a colleague, a boss, or a supplier, and try to get someone to click a bad link. This is called phishing (like baiting a fish with a lure).

Security group DeepStrike reported a 1,265% rise in phishing attacks in 2025, which it linked to the growth of these AI tools. Experts also warn about “synthetic identities,” meaning fake people with realistic backstories that slowly build trust, like a con artist who plays the long game.

What to watch

Companies are responding with stricter checks, including “zero trust” rules where important requests, like money transfers, always need extra verification. Some are also using “liveness detection,” which looks for signs a real person is in front of the camera, not a recorded or generated face. For everyday workers, the practical takeaway is simple, slow down, verify requests through a separate trusted channel, and do not treat a video call as proof that someone is who they say they are.

Source: Financial Times