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5 Oct 2026 · COLLECTION

Could that familiar voice be a fake? How to check an urgent request

A family code word, a private question and an independent call can help you check who is contacting you. Each has limits worth understanding before you need it.

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Slide with a blue background and dark cards. Could that familiar voice be a fake? What to check before trusting audio or video. Swipe to see what to check.
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Slide with a blue background and dark cards. A face or voice can be imitated What is a deepfake? Audio, an image or a video created or manipulated with AI to suggest something happened when it did not. What is at stake? It can make it seem that someone said something or requested a bank transfer. Appearance does not confirm identity.
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Slide with a blue background and dark cards. A fake meeting preceded real losses In Hong Kong, a prerecorded video conference impersonated an executive. Transfers were subsequently authorised. US$25.6 MILLION, APPROXIMATELY Indicative conversion · Case from January 2024.
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Slide with a blue background and dark cards. Appearance does not confirm identity What a deepfake can do AI can imitate a face or voice and make it seem that someone said or did something that never happened. Why looking is not enough An odd gesture may raise suspicions. Seeing no flaws does not prove that the content is authentic. Check who is contacting you and what they are asking.
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Slide with a blue background and dark cards. Have a plan ready before you need it A private code word Agree a phrase and ask for it without giving hints. A shared memory Ask about something you shared that is not public. An independent call Call back on the number you already know. A backup contact Choose another relative if you cannot reach each other. A code word or memory helps; it does not guarantee identity.
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Slide with a blue background and dark cards. Pause the request and check separately A reply you can use “I’ll hang up and call you on the number I have saved.” Check before sending money or information. If the answer does not match Fear or forgetfulness can affect a reply. Contact another relative you know; a wrong answer does not prove fraud. If there are signs of real danger, contact emergency services.
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Slide with a blue background and dark cards. Could that familiar voice be a fake? A familiar voice can be imitated with AI. How would you check who is behind it? Continue to see the check.
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Slide with a blue background and dark cards. A simple plan for your family A private word or memory Ask without revealing the answer or giving hints. Make your own call Use the number you already know. If you cannot reach them Try another relative you agreed to contact. A correct answer is no guarantee; a wrong one is not proof of fraud.
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Slide with a blue background and dark cards. Have a plan ready before you need it A private code word Agree a phrase and ask for it without giving hints. A shared memory Ask about something you shared that is not public. An independent call Call back on the number you already know. A backup contact Choose another relative if you cannot reach each other. A code word or memory helps; it does not guarantee identity.
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Could that familiar voice be a fake? Deepfakes: what to check before trusting audio or video. @Jdonascimento.
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Could that familiar voice be a fake? Deepfakes: what to check before trusting audio or video. @Jdonascimento.
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Could that familiar voice be a fake? In a case reported in Hong Kong in January 2024, a prerecorded video conference impersonating an executive preceded losses equivalent to about US$25.6 million. Agree a family plan for checking urgent requests: • Choose a word or phrase in private. Ask without saying it or giving hints; change it if it is no longer private. • Ask about a memory that is not online. An example to adapt: “What did we burn the last time we cooked together?” Avoid account recovery details. • Call back on the number you already know and agree another relative to contact if they do not answer. You could say: “I’ll hang up and call you on the number I have saved.” A correct answer does not guarantee identity; a wrong answer does not prove fraud. Check before sending money or information. If there are signs of real danger, contact local emergency services. Do not put code words or private answers in comments. Original amount: about HK$200 million. Indicative equivalent: 200 million ÷ 7.80 HKD/USD ≈ US$25.6 million; HKMA reference, not the exact rate for the transfers. #Deepfakes #DigitalSafety #DigitalLiteracy Verifiable sources: FTC · 2023: https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/03/scammers-use-ai-enhance-their-family-emergency-schemes GAO · 2024: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-24-107292 Hong Kong · 2024: https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202406/26/P2024062600192p.htm FBI/IC3 · 2024: https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2024/PSA241203 FBI/IC3 · 2025: https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2025/PSA251219 Surrey Police · nov 2025: https://www.surrey-pcc.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/8348-Surrey-Police-AI-and-deepfakes-leaflet-web.pdf HKMA · referencia cambiaria 7,80 HKD/USD: https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/200505/18/05180288.htm

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Could that familiar voice be a fake? In a case reported in Hong Kong in January 2024, a prerecorded video conference impersonating an executive preceded losses equivalent to about US$25.6 million. Agree a family plan for checking urgent requests: • Choose a word or phrase in private. Ask without saying it or giving hints; change it if it is no longer private. • Ask about a memory that is not online. An example to adapt: “What did we burn the last time we cooked together?” Avoid account recovery details. • Call back on the number you already know and agree another relative to contact if they do not answer. You could say: “I’ll hang up and call you on the number I have saved.” A correct answer does not guarantee identity; a wrong answer does not prove fraud. Check before sending money or information. If there are signs of real danger, contact local emergency services. Do not put code words or private answers in comments. Original amount: about HK$200 million. Indicative equivalent: 200 million ÷ 7.80 HKD/USD ≈ US$25.6 million; HKMA reference, not the exact rate for the transfers. #Deepfakes #DigitalSafety #DigitalLiteracy Verifiable sources: FTC · 2023: https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/03/scammers-use-ai-enhance-their-family-emergency-schemes GAO · 2024: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-24-107292 Hong Kong · 2024: https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202406/26/P2024062600192p.htm FBI/IC3 · 2024: https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2024/PSA241203 FBI/IC3 · 2025: https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2025/PSA251219 Surrey Police · nov 2025: https://www.surrey-pcc.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/8348-Surrey-Police-AI-and-deepfakes-leaflet-web.pdf HKMA · referencia cambiaria 7,80 HKD/USD: https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/200505/18/05180288.htm

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1/4 Could that familiar voice be a fake? A deepfake can imitate a face or voice. Appearance does not confirm who is contacting you or whether the request is genuine. 2/4 Agree a private family code word and a memory that is not online. Ask without revealing the answer or giving hints. Avoid account recovery details. Do not put code words in comments. https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2024/PSA241203 3/4 You could say: “I’ll hang up and call you on the number I have saved.” If they do not answer, try another relative you know. Check before sending money or data. The FTC recommends calling independently: https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/03/scammers-use-ai-enhance-their-family-emergency-schemes 4/4 A correct code word does not guarantee identity; a wrong answer does not prove fraud. Fear or forgetfulness can affect a reply. Check through another channel. If there are signs of real danger, contact local emergency services.

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