Definition
Deepfake Fraud refers to a form of fraud in which artificially generated or manipulated audio, video, or image content is used to convincingly impersonate a real person. The objective is to exploit trust in order to influence financial transactions, obtain sensitive information, or manipulate organisational decisions.
Unlike traditional impersonation techniques, Deepfake Fraud relies on generative artificial intelligence models capable of replicating a person’s voice, facial expressions, and behavioural patterns with a high degree of realism.
Context
Deepfake Fraud represents an evolution of social engineering and operates at the intersection of cybercrime, identity fraud, and organisational fraud.
It is particularly relevant in scenarios involving:
• Business Email Compromise (BEC)
• CEO Fraud / executive impersonation
• payment authorisation processes
• remote communication channels (phone, video conferencing)
The increasing availability of generative AI technologies, including voice cloning and video synthesis, has significantly lowered the barrier to entry. What previously required specialised expertise can now be achieved using commercially available or even freely accessible tools.
Meaning
Deepfake Fraud poses a fundamental challenge to established control mechanisms, as traditional forms of authentication—especially voice and visual recognition—become unreliable.
Its significance is driven by several factors:
• High credibility: impersonations appear realistic and persuasive
• Bypassing of controls: e.g. verbal confirmations or informal approval processes
• Scalability: attacks can be replicated with relatively low effort
• Detection complexity: manipulation may only be identifiable through forensic analysis
For organisations, this implies a shift from trust-based verification towards structured, multi-layered control environments.
Example
A finance manager receives a phone call that appears to come from the CEO. The voice, tone, and speaking style match the known characteristics of the executive. During the call, an urgent payment is requested in connection with a confidential transaction.
In reality, the voice has been synthetically generated using AI-based voice cloning. The payment is executed without additional verification.
Sources
Suggested citation
wirtschaftsforensik.ch Editorial Team: "Deepfake Fraud", in: Glossary, wirtschaftsforensik.ch, https://wirtschaftsforensik.ch/glossar/deepfake-fraud/, accessed April 18, 2026.