GUELPH – Guelph Police is again warning residents to be aware of so-called “deepfake” frauds after a man lost $15,000.
On Monday, police say a man in his 80s reported he clicked on a Facebook ad which appeared to feature Premier Doug Ford romoting a mutual fund account.
This opened a chat, through which the man was convinced to “invest” more than $15,000 over the next week through e-transfers and credit card payments.
The Government of Canada and Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre have been warning residents recently about a surge in “deepfake” frauds.
Artificial intelligence is used to create realistic videos or audio apparently depicting politicians and celebrities promoting products or services, or containing urgent financial requests.
Anyone who suspects they have been the victim of cybercrime or fraud should report it to their local police and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre’s online reporting system or by phone at 1-888-495-8501. Even if no financial loss has been sustained, interactions can still be reported to the CAFC.
