Deepfake Video Call Scams: 13 Red Flags and a 90-Second Verification Test

The person on your screen looks exactly like your manager.

You recognize the face, voice, glasses and office background. Two familiar colleagues are also present in the meeting. Then your manager explains that the company needs an urgent payment completed before the end of the day.

The transaction is confidential. You must not involve anyone else. There is no time to follow the usual approval process.

Would you trust what you see?

Most people would feel safer after seeing the person on camera. That is precisely what makes deepfake video call scams so dangerous.

Scammers can use artificial intelligence, face-swapping software, cloned voices, stolen recordings and prerecorded clips to impersonate someone during an online call. In sophisticated attacks, several apparent participants may be fake or controlled by the same criminal group.

Businesses are not the only targets. A deepfake caller could pretend to be your child, romantic partner, bank representative, police officer, doctor, recruiter or someone you recently met online.

You do not need to identify the exact technology before protecting yourself. Your strongest defense is to challenge the identity, examine the request and verify everything outside the call.

If you are on a suspicious video call now: Do not send money, reveal a security code or install anything. Ask a private question, end the call and contact the real person using a number or account you already trust.

This guide explains how deepfake video call scams work, 13 red flags that may expose them and the P.A.U.S.E. test you can begin in approximately 90 seconds. Completing independent verification may require additional time—and that time could prevent a devastating loss.

What Are Deepfake Video Call Scams?

Deepfake video call scams use manipulated, generated, stolen or prerecorded media to create a false impression of identity during an online call.

The apparent caller may be:

• A relative
• A friend
• A romantic partner
• A company executive
• A coworker
• A supplier
• A police officer
• A bank employee
• A recruiter
• A government official
• A celebrity

The criminal may alter their face and voice in real time or play existing footage while another person controls the conversation.

The video is rarely the entire scam. It is evidence manufactured to make a suspicious request feel legitimate.

Once you recognize the apparent person, the scammer may ask you to:

• Transfer money
• Change payment details
• Share a verification code
• Reveal banking information
• Provide identity documents
• Install an application
• Grant remote access
• Send intimate content
• Keep the conversation secret
• Ignore normal verification procedures

The video creates trust. The request creates the loss.

For a broader explanation of how synthetic voices, videos and images support financial fraud, read the complete guide to deepfake scams.

Can Scammers Fake a Live Video Call?

Yes. However, not every fake video call uses the same method.

A criminal may combine several techniques, making the call much harder to evaluate through visual inspection alone.

Real-Time Face Swapping

Real-time face-swapping software alters the caller’s appearance while the conversation is happening.

The criminal may be able to speak naturally, answer questions and move around. Nevertheless, difficult head angles, changes in lighting and objects crossing the face may expose temporary visual defects.

Advanced software can handle ordinary movement increasingly well, so the absence of glitches does not prove that the face is genuine.

Cloned or Generated Voice

The caller’s speech may be generated or modified to resemble another person.

The voice might sound like a relative, executive or public figure. However, it may contain unnatural pacing, weak emotional variation, unusual pronunciation or missing breaths.

A voice can sound familiar without behaving like the person you know.

Prerecorded Video

A scammer can play an existing recording and attempt to make it appear interactive.

They may:

• Keep the conversation short
• Pretend the connection is failing
• Mute the apparent person
• Use another participant to answer questions
• Switch between prepared clips
• Disconnect when challenged

Unexpected questions and movements make this setup harder to maintain.

Animated Photograph

Artificial intelligence can animate a still photograph, making the face blink, move and speak.

The illusion may be convincing on a small screen. However, the shoulders, head angles and background may remain unusually limited.

Impersonator Using Filters

The person may be a real actor using filters, makeup, voice modification or carefully chosen camera angles.

A real human on camera does not prove that the supplied name, history or relationship is genuine.

Stolen or Compromised Account

The account may genuinely belong to the person being impersonated but have been taken over by a criminal.

The scammer could use private recordings, personal information and previous conversations to make the contact more believable.

Therefore, you must verify both the apparent identity and the requested action.

Why Seeing a Familiar Face Is No Longer Proof

A video call can show that something on your screen is responding. It cannot automatically prove:

• The caller’s legal identity
• Whether the face is being altered
• Whether the voice is genuine
• Whether the account remains under its owner’s control
• Whether other participants are real
• Whether a recording is being played
• Whether the caller’s story is accurate
• Whether the requested action is legitimate

This distinction is critical.

A scammer may pass a movement test while using a stolen identity. A compromised executive account may contain genuine photographs and information. A real person could also be working with other criminals.

Never allow appearance to replace independent verification.

Genuine Technical Problem or Deepfake Warning Sign?

Video calls frequently suffer from poor lighting, compression and weak connections. Use the surrounding behavior to distinguish an innocent defect from a dangerous pattern.

One defect creates doubt. Several connected inconsistencies justify ending the call.

13 Red Flags of Deepfake Video Call Scams

Some warning signs appear in the media. Others appear in the caller’s behavior, story and request.

Behavioral signs usually deserve greater weight because a sophisticated deepfake may contain no visible defect.

1. The Caller Keeps the Video Dark, Small or Blurry

Poor visibility can hide problems around the face, mouth, hands and background.

The caller may claim:

• The connection is weak
• The camera is damaged
• The room has poor lighting
• The battery is low
• The application is malfunctioning
• They cannot move elsewhere

Any one explanation could be genuine. The danger appears when the person rejects every reasonable attempt to improve visibility while requesting money, information or access.

Ask the caller to move into brighter light or reconnect.

Do not complete a sensitive action because the caller insists that proper verification is inconvenient.

2. The Face Distorts During Sudden Movement

Real-time manipulation may work best when the caller remains centered and faces the camera.

Observe what happens when the person:

• Turns sideways
• Tilts their head
• Looks down
• Leans toward the camera
• Moves into different lighting
• Walks across the room

You may notice:

• Flickering around the jaw
• A nose changing shape
• Part of the face disappearing
• Hair merging into the forehead
• Facial color changing abruptly
• An ear becoming distorted
• The face briefly slipping out of position

Compression can create a bad frame in an authentic call. Look for defects that repeatedly affect the facial area during movement.

3. Hands or Objects Behave Strangely Near the Face

Objects passing in front of a face can challenge real-time manipulation.

Ask the caller to move a hand slowly across their forehead or cheek.

Watch for:

• Fingers disappearing
• Skin colors blending
• A hand passing behind facial features
• Glasses vanishing
• A cup merging with the mouth
• Part of the face appearing over an object
• An object changing shape

Do not announce the defect you noticed. A scammer could adjust the setup or avoid the movement in future attempts.

Passing this test does not prove identity. It removes only one possible clue.

4. The Mouth, Voice and Jaw Do Not Stay Synchronized

Observe the whole lower face instead of watching only the lips.

A suspicious pattern may include:

• Speech beginning before the mouth moves
• Words continuing after the lips close
• Teeth appearing and disappearing
• The jaw remaining still during forceful speech
• Incorrect mouth shapes
• Synchronization repeatedly improving and failing
• Facial expressions changing too early or late

A weak connection may delay the whole video. Deepfake-related problems may repeatedly concentrate around the mouth and face.

5. The Voice Sounds Familiar but Emotionally Wrong

A cloned voice may reproduce someone’s pitch and accent while missing their natural emotional range.

Listen for:

• Flat delivery
• Metallic undertones
• Missing breaths
• Strange pauses
• Repeated intonation
• Abrupt volume changes
• Mispronounced names
• Unnatural sentence rhythm
• Emotion that does not match the situation

Also examine word choice.

Would this person normally speak this way? Do they use these expressions? Would your cautious manager suddenly demand cryptocurrency? Would your relative refuse to let you call another family member during an emergency?

Do not ask only whether the voice sounds familiar. Ask whether the communication behaves like the real person.

6. The Caller Avoids Turning, Standing or Changing Position

A scammer may try to keep the face centered and movements predictable.

The caller may refuse to:

• Turn sideways
• Cover part of the face
• Stand up
• Step away from the camera
• Move into better lighting
• Pick up a nearby object
• Show the room
• Switch cameras

There may be an innocent reason for one refusal. Repeated avoidance during an important request is more suspicious.

Choose an unpredictable action. Do not let the caller control every test.

7. Private Questions Produce Vague or Unnatural Answers

A criminal may collect personal information from social media and public records.

The scammer may already know:

• Birthdays
• Family names
• Schools
• Employers
• Addresses
• Travel plans
• Pet names
• Recent public events

Avoid questions based on these facts.

Ask about a recent private experience:

• “What did we disagree about yesterday?”
• “Where did we sit the last time we met?”
• “What did you ask me to bring home?”
• “What private joke did we make last weekend?”
• “What happened before our last telephone call ended?”

A scammer may ignore the question, give a broad answer, repeat part of your wording or become angry.

Do not reveal the correct answer after a failed response.

8. The Call Arrives Through an Unfamiliar Account or Link

The invitation may come from:

• A new email address
• An unfamiliar telephone number
• A recently created profile
• An unexpected meeting link
• A personal account instead of a company account
• A username differing by one character

The caller may explain that their usual account is unavailable.

Do not assume the explanation is false. Verify it through contact information already stored in your phone, company directory or previous correspondence.

Never let the person inside the suspicious call provide the only method of verifying that call.

9. Other Participants Behave Like Silent Decorations

A meeting containing several familiar faces can feel more convincing than a one-to-one call.

That sense of safety may be manufactured.

Observe the other participants:

• Do they respond when addressed?
• Do they interrupt naturally?
• Do their reactions match the conversation?
• Are their movements repetitive?
• Does one person answer every question?
• Do several cameras have identical delays?
• Does everyone remain strangely silent?
• Do participants disconnect at the same moment?

Some apparent participants may be generated, prerecorded or controlled by accomplices.

Contact one participant independently using a trusted number.

10. The Story Conflicts With Normal Behavior or Procedure

A familiar face may distract you from an abnormal request.

Examples include:

• A manager bypassing payment approvals
• A supplier changing bank details during the call
• A relative requesting cryptocurrency
• A bank representative asking for your password
• A police officer demanding gift cards
• A recruiter requesting an advance fee
• A romantic partner repeatedly needing emergency money
• An IT employee requesting your verification code

Deepfake video call scams succeed when appearance overrules procedure.

Reverse that mistake. The more convincing the face looks, the more carefully you should examine the action.

11. The Caller Creates Extreme Urgency

The caller may say:

• “Send it now.”
• “Do not hang up.”
• “We have only five minutes.”
• “Someone will be hurt if you delay.”
• “The account will be frozen.”
• “The transaction must close today.”
• “I cannot explain everything.”
• “You will lose the opportunity.”

A legitimate emergency can still be verified.

Urgency becomes dangerous when it is used to prevent a callback, consultation or normal approval.

12. You Are Ordered to Keep the Conversation Secret

Secrecy isolates you from people who could expose the deception.

The caller may describe the matter as:

• A private family emergency
• A legal investigation
• A confidential acquisition
• A surprise
• A security operation
• A sensitive financial transaction
• A test of loyalty

Ask why reasonable verification would cause harm.

A genuine confidential business request should still follow an approved process. A legitimate relative should not prevent you from checking their safety with another family member.

13. The Caller Resists Independent Verification

This is the strongest warning sign.

You say you will end the call and telephone back. The person becomes angry.

You offer to contact another colleague. The supposed executive refuses.

You suggest calling the organization’s official number. The caller increases the threat.

They may:

• Use guilt
• Become aggressive
• Repeat the deadline
• Claim a callback is impossible
• Supply another number they control
• Threaten financial or physical harm
• End the call when challenged
• Insist that seeing their face should be enough

A legitimate person may dislike the delay. They should not fear reasonable verification when money, credentials or safety are involved.

End the call.

The P.A.U.S.E. Deepfake Call Test

The initial P.A.U.S.E. test takes approximately 90 seconds. Completing independent verification may take longer, especially when money or workplace access is involved.

That additional time is not an inconvenience. It is your protection.

P — Pause the Requested Action

Do not transfer money, provide information, approve a transaction or install anything.

Say:

“I need to verify this request before I continue.”

You do not need the caller’s permission.

A — Ask a Private Question

Ask something based on a recent shared experience that was never posted publicly.

Watch how the person responds—not only whether the answer is technically correct.

A genuine person will usually provide natural details. A scripted caller may stall, repeat the question or return to the urgent demand.

U — Use an Unpredictable Movement

Ask the caller to:

• Turn sideways
• Cover one eye
• Touch a specific ear
• Move a hand across the face
• Hold up a particular number of fingers
• Pick up a nearby object
• Step into brighter light

Observe the facial area during the movement.

S — Switch to a Trusted Channel

End the call.

Contact the supposed person through a saved number, known account or protected company system.

For a workplace request, contact another authorized employee separately.

Do not use contact information supplied during the suspicious interaction.

E — Examine the Request

Ask:

• Is this action normal?
• Why is it urgent?
• Why must it remain secret?
• Which procedure am I being asked to bypass?
• Is the payment method unusual?
• Can the story be confirmed elsewhere?
• What does the caller gain by preventing verification?
• What happens if I wait?

If you cannot verify the identity and request, do not proceed.

What to Do During a Suspected Deepfake Video Call

Stay calm and focus on protecting money, information and access.

Do Not Accuse the Caller Immediately

An accusation may cause the scammer to disconnect before you record useful information. It can also reveal which defect exposed the attack.

You do not need to win an argument. You need to end the risk.

Do Not Share More Personal Information

The scammer may ask questions while pretending to verify you.

Do not disclose:

• Passwords
• Security codes
• Banking information
• Identity numbers
• Private family details
• Employee credentials
• Security answers
• Internal procedures

Information gathered during one failed call may strengthen the next attempt.

Do Not Open Links or Files

A familiar face does not make a meeting-chat link safe.

The link may lead to:

• A fake login page
• Malware
• Remote-access software
• A fraudulent payment platform
• A data-collection form
• A false identity-verification page

Visit the official website independently or ask a trusted security professional to inspect the destination.

Record Essential Details

When safe and lawful, preserve:

• Account name
• Exact username
• Email invitation
• Meeting link
• Date and time
• Displayed telephone number
• Chat messages
• Payment instructions
• Names of supposed participants
• Wallet or bank details

Do not delay urgent financial protection to collect perfect evidence.

End the Call

Scammers may claim that disconnecting will cause an arrest, financial loss, missed opportunity or danger to someone you love.

That threat is designed to keep you inside an environment they control.

End the call and verify independently.

Deepfake Video Calls Targeting Families

Family impersonation attacks use panic to eliminate careful thinking.

The supposed relative may claim to be:

• Injured
• Kidnapped
• Arrested
• Stranded
• Under medical care
• Unable to access money
• In danger from an abusive person

Another caller may take over and pretend to be a lawyer, doctor, police officer or kidnapper.

What Families Should Do

1. End the call.
2. Telephone the relative using a saved number.
3. Contact someone who can physically confirm their location.
4. Ask a private question.
5. Refuse gift-card and cryptocurrency demands.
6. Contact any claimed authority through an official number.
7. Save the call details.
8. Warn other relatives.

Create a private family verification phrase before an emergency happens.

Avoid birthdays, addresses, schools and pet names because this information may be available online.

Deepfake Video Calls in Romance Scams

An online romantic partner may agree to a video call specifically to overcome your doubts.

Unfortunately, that call does not prove the person’s name, history or intentions.

A romance scammer may use:

• Face-swapping software
• Prerecorded clips
• Stolen footage
• An accomplice
• A real person using a false identity
• Generated backgrounds
• Voice modification
• AI-assisted translation

The calls may be short, dark or frequently interrupted by connection problems.

After trust develops, the person may introduce:

• A medical emergency
• A blocked bank account
• A travel expense
• A customs fee
• A business problem
• An investment opportunity
• A request for cryptocurrency

A convincing video call cannot make a repeated financial request safe.

Verify the person’s wider identity, history and behavior. Never send money merely because you have seen their face move on a screen.

Deepfake Video Calls Targeting Businesses

Corporate attacks can produce enormous losses because one impersonation may influence payments, payroll changes or access decisions.

The criminal may pretend to be:

• A chief executive
• A chief financial officer
• An overseas director
• A supplier
• An attorney
• An auditor
• An IT employee
• A job candidate
• A major customer

The attack may begin with an email explaining that a confidential matter requires an urgent meeting.

That message establishes the story. Familiar faces on the later video call provide apparent confirmation. The meeting is not necessarily the beginning of the scam—it may be the final trust-building step.

Executive impersonation deserves separate attention because one convincing call can pressure an employee into abandoning controls. The complete guide to CEO deepfake scams explains how fake executives manipulate employees and how businesses should verify unusual instructions.

Requests That Always Require Separate Verification

Independently verify:

• New supplier bank details
• Unusual wire transfers
• Payroll changes
• Gift-card purchases
• Cryptocurrency payments
• Releases of confidential information
• Password resets
• Administrator access
• Remote-access requests
• Changes to approval procedures

A face on a screen is not a payment-control system.

How Businesses Can Prevent Deepfake Video Call Fraud

Software can help, but clear procedures provide the foundation.

Require Two-Person Approval

High-value or unusual payments should require authorization from at least two approved employees.

The second approval must occur through a protected company system—not through another participant invited by the suspicious caller.

Verify Payment Changes Independently

Contact the supplier using details already stored in company records.

Do not use the telephone number or email address included in the change request.

Protect IT and Help-Desk Resets

IT teams should not reset passwords or multifactor authentication based only on a familiar face or voice.

Use established recovery procedures and multiple identity checks.

Use Internal Challenge Procedures

Teams responsible for sensitive transactions can use rotating verification codes or internal approval phrases.

Avoid placing permanent codes inside ordinary email threads.

Normalize Delays and Refusals

Employees must know they will not be punished for pausing an unusual request from a senior executive.

If staff fear questioning leadership, criminals will exploit that fear.

Limit Public Operational Information

Review whether public profiles reveal:

• Reporting relationships
• Executive travel
• Supplier names
• Finance-team responsibilities
• Internal terminology
• Upcoming deals
• Employee contact information

Public information helps criminals build believable scripts.

Prepare an Incident Plan

Employees should know:

• Whom to contact
• How to freeze a payment
• How to secure an account
• How to preserve evidence
• How to warn other departments
• Who contacts customers or suppliers
• Who reports the incident

A procedure designed before an attack is easier to follow under pressure.

What to Do If You Followed the Caller’s Instructions

Act based on what was exposed. Do not continue negotiating with the scammer.

If You Shared a Password or Verification Code

1. Change the affected password.
2. Secure your email account first.
3. Sign out unfamiliar sessions.
4. Review recovery telephone numbers and email addresses.
5. Reset multifactor authentication if necessary.
6. Contact the organization or security team.
7. Check for unfamiliar forwarding rules.
8. Monitor the account.

If You Installed Software or Granted Remote Access

1. Disconnect the device from the internet.
2. End communication with the caller.
3. Contact a trusted security professional.
4. Use a different safe device to change important passwords.
5. Notify your bank if financial accounts were accessible.
6. Record the name of the installed software.
7. Preserve messages and instructions.
8. Do not reconnect until the device has been checked.

If You Sent Money

1. Contact the bank or payment provider immediately.
2. Ask whether the transaction can be stopped, recalled or disputed.
3. Preserve receipts, account numbers and wallet addresses.
4. Notify the impersonated person or organization.
5. Secure any exposed accounts.
6. Report the incident.
7. Warn anyone else who may be targeted.

Ignore people who later promise guaranteed recovery for an upfront payment. Victims of one scam are frequently targeted again.

How to Report a Deepfake Video Call Scam

Reporting should follow a clear order.

First: Contact the Financial Institution

If money was sent or banking information was exposed, contact the bank, card issuer, cryptocurrency exchange or payment service immediately.

Speed matters more than creating a perfect report.

Second: Secure Exposed Accounts

Change passwords, remove unfamiliar devices and protect the email account connected to other services.

Third: Preserve Evidence

Save the meeting invitation, account details, chat messages, payment instructions and transaction records.

Fourth: Report the Account

Use the video platform’s reporting options for impersonation, fraud, scams or manipulated media.

Fifth: Notify the Impersonated Person or Organization

Contact them through a verified channel. They may need to warn relatives, employees, customers or suppliers.

Sixth: File an Official Fraud Report

In the United States, reports involving online fraud can be submitted through ReportFraud.ftc.gov and IC3.gov. Contact local police when financial theft, threats, blackmail or immediate danger is involved.

Readers elsewhere should contact their national fraud-reporting center and local law-enforcement authority.

Can Deepfake Detection Software Protect Video Calls?

Detection tools may examine video, audio and behavioral patterns for signs of synthetic media.

They can provide an additional layer of security, particularly for businesses handling sensitive transactions. However, they cannot replace verification procedures.

Possible limitations include:

• False alarms
• Missed sophisticated attacks
• Poor video quality
• Compression
• New manipulation techniques
• Privacy concerns
• Conflicting results

A detector might estimate whether a face or voice is synthetic. It cannot establish that a real person is honest, authorized or acting under their genuine identity.

Detection is one layer. Independent authorization remains the final control.

How to Protect Your Family Before the Next Call

Do not wait until a frightened face appears on the screen.

Establish these rules now:

• No emergency payment based solely on an incoming call
• Every unusual request requires a callback
• Family members use a private verification phrase
• Nobody shares account-security codes
• Another relative confirms emergencies
• Gift-card and cryptocurrency requests trigger suspicion
• Children will not be punished for ending a frightening call

Practice the response together.

Ask:

“What would you do if you saw my face asking for money during a video call?”

The correct answer should become automatic:

“I would end the call and contact you another way.”

Frequently Asked Questions About Deepfake Video Call Scams

Deepfake technology will keep changing. The following answers focus on verification methods that remain useful even when visual defects become harder to see.

What is a deepfake video call scam?

It is a scam in which generated, manipulated, stolen or prerecorded media creates a false impression of identity during an online call.

Can scammers produce a live deepfake?

Yes. Real-time software can alter a person’s face or voice while they speak. Criminals may also use prerecorded clips, animated photographs or accomplices.

Can a deepfake respond to questions?

Some real-time systems allow natural responses. A prerecorded setup may also use prepared clips or another participant to control the conversation.

Can a Zoom call be deepfaked?

Manipulated faces, cloned voices, prerecorded footage and false identities can appear through different meeting platforms. The platform itself does not prove identity.

Can a Microsoft Teams call be deepfaked?

A criminal may use manipulation software, compromise an account or impersonate an employee during a Teams meeting. Always follow established company authorization procedures.

Can a FaceTime call be fake?

Yes. A caller can use deceptive video, stolen content or a false identity. The application being used does not authenticate the person automatically.

Can a WhatsApp video call be deepfaked?

Yes. Face manipulation, prerecorded footage, stolen identities and accomplices can be used during calls on messaging services.

Can several participants in one meeting be fake?

Yes. Participants may be generated, prerecorded or controlled by accomplices. Contact at least one person independently.

How can I test someone’s face during a video call?

Ask them to turn sideways, cover part of the face, move into better light or pass an object in front of their face. Watch for distortion or resistance.

Does passing a movement test prove the caller is real?

No. Advanced software may handle the movement, and a real person can still operate under a false identity.

What private question should I ask?

Ask about a recent shared experience that was never posted online. Avoid birthdays, schools, addresses and pet names.

Can scammers research answers to personal questions?

Yes. Public profiles may reveal relationships, employment, travel, birthdays and other details. Use recent private information.

Why do deepfake callers prefer dark video?

Poor lighting and low resolution can conceal facial defects. They also provide an excuse when the victim requests a clearer image.

Why are suspicious video calls often short?

Short calls reduce opportunities for unexpected questions, movement tests and technical defects to expose the deception.

What if the caller uses a familiar account?

The account could be compromised. End the call and contact the person through another trusted method.

Can a real person participate in a deepfake scam?

Yes. An actor, accomplice or person using a stolen identity may appear on screen. A real human face does not validate the story.

How do romance scammers fake video calls?

They may use face-swapping tools, prerecorded clips, stolen footage, accomplices or real people operating under false identities.

Can an employer request a confidential payment by video?

A genuine executive may make a confidential request, but employees should still follow established approval and payment procedures.

Should I stay on the call while verifying?

No. End the call and contact the person independently. Remaining connected allows the caller to continue applying pressure.

Should I tell the caller that I noticed a deepfake?

Usually not. Preserve available evidence, disconnect and report the attempt. Explaining the defect may help the scammer improve.

Can deepfake detection software identify the caller?

It may detect possible synthetic media, but it cannot conclusively establish identity, honesty or authorization.

What should I do after sharing a verification code?

Change the affected password, secure the account, sign out unfamiliar sessions and contact the service provider immediately.

What should I do if I sent money?

Contact the payment provider immediately and ask whether the transaction can be stopped, recalled or disputed. Preserve all evidence.

Where should I report the scam?

Report it to the platform, impersonated person or organization, financial institution and the relevant fraud-reporting or law-enforcement authority.

What is the best defense against deepfake video calls?

Use the P.A.U.S.E. test: Pause the action, Ask a private question, Use an unpredictable movement, Switch to a trusted channel and Examine the request.

Final Thoughts

Deepfake video call scams succeed because people believe seeing a familiar face settles the identity question.

It does not.

A face can be manipulated. A voice can be cloned. Several apparent colleagues can appear in the same fraudulent meeting. Even a real person can use a stolen name and fabricated history.

Do not focus entirely on finding a flicker, strange blink or delayed lip movement.

Examine the behavior.

Why is the call unexpected? Why must you act immediately? Why are normal procedures being ignored? Why does the person oppose independent verification?

Remember the P.A.U.S.E. test:

• Pause the requested action
• Ask a private question
• Use an unpredictable movement
• Switch to a trusted channel
• Examine the request

When money, credentials, identity documents or personal safety are involved, end the call and verify independently.