Digital Doppelgänger Unmasked: Bitdefender Uncovers the Growing Deepfake Threats

In the ever-evolving world of cybersecurity, one of the most alarming trends is the rise of deepfake-based attacks. These sophisticated forgeries of audio and video are no longer mere prank calls from tricksters in the streets looking for some harmless fun – they’re a clear and present danger to individuals and organisations alike!

Recently, Cybersecurity Asia (CSA) was given the opportunity to sit down with Paul Hadjy, Vice President of APAC and Cybersecurity Services at Bitdefender, to discuss how deepfakes are being weaponised and what can be done to protect against this emerging threat.

Stream Jacking 2.0: Deepfakes Fuelling Account Takeovers

One of the most concerning developments in the deepfake landscape is the rise of “Stream Jacking 2.0,” a tactic where cybercriminals hijack legitimate YouTube accounts to broadcast deepfake videos that promote fraudulent schemes. According to Bitdefender’s latest research, these deepfake-powered account takeovers are not only growing in frequency but are also becoming more and more sophisticated, making them harder to detect and combat!

Hadjy explained that these attacks often target popular YouTube channels with large followings. Once cybercriminals gain control of an account, they use deepfakes to impersonate celebrities or influencers, creating live streams that appear genuine to the untrained eye! These streams are designed to lure viewers into crypto-doubling scams, where victims are promised double the amount of cryptocurrency they send to a specific address! Unfortunately… the reality is that, once the money is sent, it’s gone for good.

What makes this tactic particularly dangerous? Its effectiveness.

The deepfakes used in these scams are convincing enough to deceive thousands of viewers at a time, causing widespread misinformation and putting individuals at severe risk. Bitdefender’s research highlights the growing threats of these scams, noting that the financial losses associated with Stream Jacking 2.0 are significant and will only continue to rise from here.

As Hadjy mentioned in the interview, “The delicacy of these scams is chilling, with some streams reaching millions of viewers before being taken down.” This underscores the urgent need for platforms like YouTube to implement more solid security measures to protect their users from these types of attacks.

Deepfake Campaigns: The New Frontier of Cybercrime

Deepfakes are not just being used for one-off scams; they are increasingly part of larger, orchestrated campaigns designed to defraud and manipulate on a massive scale. Bitdefender’s research has uncovered several real-life examples of how these deepfake campaigns are evolving and becoming more complex, targeting various sectors and exploiting the trust of users.

One of the most notable uses of deepfakes is the creation of audio clips designed to impersonate popular public figures in celebrity-endorsed giveaway scams. In these cases, cybercriminals produce convincing audio clips mimicking the voices of famous individuals such as Jennifer Aniston and Kylie Jenner. These audio deepfakes are then deployed in social media campaigns to promote fake cryptocurrency giveaways, deceiving victims into believing they are participating in a legitimate opportunity.

Another disturbing campaign unfolded in the health and wellness industry, where deepfake videos featuring AI-generated endorsements from supposed medical professionals were used to promote dubious supplements and miracle cures. In one instance, a deepfake likeness of a well-known health influencer was used to endorse a weight-loss product claiming miraculous effects. This campaign was widespread, appearing across multiple social media platforms and even on some less-regulated e-commerce sites.

A third high-profile example involved the exploitation of ongoing political events to boost the credibility of deepfake scams. Cybercriminals used deepfakes to create fake live broadcasts featuring US President Donald Trump discussing cryptocurrency investments. These fake broadcasts were timed to coincide with Trump’s real-life legal battles, exploiting the public’s heightened interest in his situation. The deepfakes were broadcast on hijacked YouTube channels, attracting thousands of viewers who were then directed to fraudulent websites promising cryptocurrency returns.

The Impact of Deepfake Scams

Let’s begin with the crypto-doubling scams from the Stream Jacking 2.0 tactic. After investigating a subset of malicious domains linked to recent crypto scams involving XRP, MicroStrategy, SpaceX, and Binance, Bitdefender was able to analyse the associated crypto wallet transactions. The findings are alarming; over 10 ETH (valued between USD $2,180 and USD $2,690 per coin) and 12 BTC (valued between USD $42,200 and USD $48,700 per coin) were sent to these wallets. While many wallets showed no transactions, likely due to their recent creation, others received almost 6 BTC and 2 ETH.

Hackers often obscure their tracks by passing tokens through multiple wallets, complicating future analysis. In total, potential earnings from these scams range between USD $528,200 and USD $600,500, making them highly profitable for threat actors. This underscores the urgent need for increased awareness of such fraudulent schemes.

Now let’s take this into account in viewers’ outreach analysis. In another investigation by Bitdefender’s researcher Ionut Baltariu, it was discovered that several hijacked YouTube channels had been renamed to “Tesla” or “Donald Trump Jr” by threat actors. These attackers deleted the original content and began livestreaming a deepfake video titled “Elon Musk Reveals Insights on Trump Assassination Attempt and Election Support,” promoting crypto-doubling scams.

The potential reach is absolutely concerning, as one of the hijacked channels had 1.26 million subscribers, with others having over 700,000 and some in the 100,000 range. The video, featuring a looped deepfake of Musk, encourages viewers to participate in a giveaway by scanning a QR code, which leads them to fraudulent websites. These sites are hosted on domains mimicking Tesla or associating both Elon Musk’s and Donald Trump’s names, further enhancing the scam’s credibility.

Organisations hit by deepfake scams also suffer reputational damage, which can be even more costly in the long term. As Hadjy noted in our interview, the reach of these scams is massive, with some deepfake campaigns targeting over 1.2 million people. The fallout from such attacks can lead to a loss of customer trust, decreased brand value, and even legal repercussions. For businesses, the stakes are incredibly high, making the need for robust defences against deepfakes more critical than ever.

These deepfake campaigns represent a new frontier of cybercrimes, where the lines between reality and fiction are blurred, and risks of property theft through digital technology are higher than ever!

How Organisations Can Protect Themselves?

Given the growing prevalence of deepfake-based threats, it’s crucial for organisations to be proactive in protecting themselves. Hadjy emphasises the importance of awareness: “Ensuring that both your company and your customers are aware that this technology exists is vital.” Deepfake awareness should be an integral part of cybersecurity training programs, helping employees recognise the signs of manipulated content.

To detect deepfakes, organisations can start with visual inspections, looking for anomalies such as unnatural mouth movements, mismatched audio and video, or inconsistent facial expressions. However, as deepfakes become more advanced, these manual methods may not be enough. Stronger detection tools, such as those developed by Bitdefender, can analyse metadata, perform forensic analysis, and utilise machine learning algorithms to identify deepfakes more accurately.

Bitdefender’s AI-powered chat assistant, Scamio, is one such tool designed to combat deepfake scams. It can instantly analyse photos, links, and QR codes to detect potential threats. This type of technology is becoming increasingly important as deepfakes evolve and become harder to spot.

In addition to using advanced detection tools, organisations should implement robust verification processes. Double signoffs for financial transactions, verifying requests through multiple channels, and maintaining secure communication protocols can help prevent deepfake scams from succeeding.

What’s Real and What’s Not, How Much Worse Can This Plague Go?

As this tech gets even more advanced, the line between what’s real and what’s fake is going to vanish. And when it does, the world might never be the same. Hadjy warned deepfakes are set to play a major role in global events, especially during the election campaigns. Imagine the chaos when deepfakes are unleashed as weapons of propaganda and disinformation – swaying votes, fuelling division, and spreading lies faster than the truth can catch up!

In a world where your eyes can deceive you and your ears can lie, trusting the content you come across isn’t as simple as it used to be. Deepfakes aren’t going anywhere, and as they become more common, the need for tough cybersecurity measures is only going to grow. The key, however, is to always stay sharp, stay informed, and never take what you see at face value. Spotting deepfakes is no longer just a job for techies – everyone needs to be in on it.

So, next time you see a familiar face or hear a well-known voice online, don’t be so quick to believe it’s real. It might just be another ghost, crafted to fool you.

Stay vigilant, or you might just fall for the illusion.