Video Scams: Deepfakes, Fake Links and Video Call Fraud
How criminals use fake videos, cloned voices, "watch this video" links and live calls to take money and accounts, and how to stop them.
Free guide. No sign-up. Updated October 26, 2026.
Why Video No Longer Proves Anything
Seeing someone on camera used to prove a request was real. Generative AI changed that: cheap tools now swap faces in live video and clone a voice from a short public clip.
In early 2024, Hong Kong police reported a case that the engineering firm Arup later confirmed. An employee joined a video conference with what looked like the chief financial officer and several colleagues. Every other person on the call was a deepfake. The employee made 15 transfers worth about HK$200 million (roughly US$25 million).
In December 2024 the FBI warned that criminals use generative AI to fake video, audio and images. In July 2026 it warned again: scammers use AI-generated video for real-time video chats with fake company executives and to "prove" that an online contact is a real person. The lesson: when money or access is at stake, verify the person another way.
Three Kinds of Video Scam
Most video scams follow one of these patterns.
Deepfake videos and cloned voices
A fake clip of a celebrity or CEO promotes a crypto "giveaway" or an investment platform. Fake livestreams promise to double any coins you send. Nobody gets anything back.
Cloned voices of relatives call with an emergency. The FTC warns that a familiar voice alone is no longer proof.
Fake "watch this video" links
A message from a friend's hacked account says "Is this you in this video?" or "Look what they posted about you". The link opens a fake login page that steals your password, then your account messages your contacts.
Other links say the video needs a "player update" or a codec. The download is malware.
Video call fraud
A fake boss on a video call approves an urgent wire. Romance scammers use short, blurry or pre-recorded calls before they ask for money.
In sextortion, a stranger records a video chat or fakes nude images, then demands payment. The FBI says teenagers, mostly boys, are frequent targets.
Video Scam Red Flag Checker
Tick every sign that matches the video, link or call you received. Nothing you select leaves this page.
Method: the four critical signs are scam patterns described in FTC and FBI warnings. Any critical sign, or two or more warning signs, means stop and verify. No red flags does not prove a video is real. Educational tool, not legal advice.
How to Verify a Video or Call
These steps work even against a perfect deepfake.
- Hang up and call back. Use a number you already have, such as the one on your bank card. Never use a number or link the caller gives you.
- Agree on a family code word. The FBI suggests a secret word or phrase that only your family knows. A cloned voice cannot answer it.
- Use a second approver for payments. At work, no single call, email or chat can approve a new payee or a changed bank account.
- Do not log in from a link. If a message says you are in a video, ask the sender in a new message. Open the app or site yourself instead of the link.
- Limit public voice and video. Public clips of your voice and face are raw material for clones.
If You Already Clicked or Paid
You sent money: call your bank or payment service at once and ask them to stop or reverse the payment.
You entered a password: change it, sign out of all sessions, turn on two-factor authentication and warn your contacts.
You installed a "player": go offline, run a malware scan and change passwords from another device.
In the US, report every case to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and to the FBI at ic3.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I spot a deepfake just by looking?
Not reliably. Older fakes show odd blinking, blurred edges around the face or lips out of sync with speech, but good fakes hide these. Verify the person through a separate channel instead of trusting your eyes.
Is it safe to open a "Is this you in this video?" message?
No. The link usually leads to a fake login page that steals your account, or to a file that installs malware. Ask the sender in a new message or by phone whether they really sent it.
What should I do if someone threatens to share a video of me?
Stop replying, do not pay, keep the messages and the account names, and report it to the platform and to the FBI at ic3.gov. Paying rarely ends the threats. If the images were taken before age 18, the NCMEC Take It Down service can help remove them.