Can AI fake a real person on a live video call?
YesYes. Criminals have already run video meetings in which the other faces were deepfakes of real colleagues or officials, and victims paid millions.
First shown: Feb 2, 2024. Hong Kong police disclosed that a finance worker paid HK$200 million (about US$25.6 million) after a video conference in which every other participant, including his CFO, was a deepfake; the firm was later confirmed as Arup. (CNN)
What it means
A live video deepfake swaps or generates a face, and often a voice, in real time so the person on screen appears to be someone else. Unlike a pre-made fake clip, it has to keep up with a conversation.
The landmark case came from Hong Kong. A finance employee at engineering firm Arup was suspicious of an email asking for a secret transaction, then joined a video call with what looked like the UK-based CFO and colleagues. Police said everyone he saw was fake. He sent HK$200 million (about US$25.6 million). In May 2026 Singapore police warned of a similar Zoom scam with deepfaked senior officials that cost a businessman S$4.9 million.
It is not flawless. These scams lean on a pretext (a forged letter, a WhatsApp message, an urgent secret deal) and keep calls short. In June 2025 Microsoft said it had not yet seen North Korean job-fraud operators use combined real-time AI voice and video first hand, though it warned that could come. Glitches and lag still give some fakes away, but they are getting harder to spot.
The evidence ladder
Every capability on this site is graded on the same five steps, from a single demonstration to real-world consequences.
| Step | Status | When | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demonstrated shown at least once | yes | Feb 2, 2024 | Hong Kong police said every participant the victim saw on a multi-person video conference, including the CFO, was a deepfake recreation. (CNN) |
| Reproduced independently repeated | yes | May 14, 2026 | Singapore police warned of a scam in which a businessman lost S$4.9 million after a Zoom call with deepfaked senior officials, backed by a forged letter. (Malay Mail) |
| Accessible available to ordinary people, or criminals | yes | Feb 2, 2024 | Ordinary criminal groups use it: the same Hong Kong police briefing said deepfakes had been used at least 20 times to defeat facial recognition in loan and bank-account applications. (CNN) |
| Reliable works most of the time for a defined task | partly | Jun 30, 2025 | Good enough to win large payments when paired with a pretext, but Microsoft said in June 2025 it had not yet observed combined real-time AI voice and video used first hand by North Korean job-fraud operators. (Microsoft Threat Intelligence) |
| Consequences real-world use or harm documented | yes | May 17, 2024 | Arup confirmed it was the victim of the HK$200 million deepfake video-call fraud. (South China Morning Post) |
From the record
- A Hong Kong employee of Arup paid about US$25.6 million after a video call in which the CFO and colleagues were all deepfakes. The case file → (South China Morning Post)
- Scammers staged a Zoom call with deepfaked Singapore officials and a forged prime-ministerial letter; a businessman lost S$4.9 million. The case file → (Malay Mail)
- North Korean IT workers used AI tools to alter identity photos and experimented with voice-changing software to get hired remotely. The case file → (Microsoft)
What it means for you
A familiar face on a video call is no longer proof you are talking to that person. Treat an unexpected request for money or secrets on video the way you would treat one by email.
What to do
- Verify on a second channelBefore acting on a money request made on a call, contact the person through a number or chat you already had.
- Ask something only they would knowA personal question or agreed code word is harder to fake than a face.
- Slow down secret, urgent requestsBuild in a mandatory pause and a second approver for any confidential transfer.
- Don't rely on spotting glitchesLag or odd lighting can expose some fakes, but quality is improving; verification beats inspection.
Questions people ask
Has anyone actually lost money to a deepfake video call?
Yes. Arup lost about US$25.6 million in 2024 and a Singapore businessman lost S$4.9 million in 2026, both after calls with deepfaked people.
Can deepfakes fool facial recognition?
Hong Kong police said in 2024 that deepfakes had been used at least 20 times to beat facial recognition in loan and bank-account applications.
Can I spot a live deepfake?
Sometimes: lag, mismatched lighting or glitches around the face. Calling the person back on a known number is the safer test.
Related
- AI voice clone scam call: what to do right now →
- AI scam texts: how to spot them and what to do (2026) →
Sources
- CNN on the Hong Kong deepfake CFO scam
- South China Morning Post: Arup confirmed as victim
- Malay Mail on the Singapore Zoom deepfake scam
- Microsoft on North Korean IT workers (June 2025)
Spot an error or something out of date? Tell us; corrections are made and logged. Written with AI assistance from public sources; every fact checked and approved by Colin Balfe. General information, not legal, medical or financial advice.