AI Scams Exposed: Deepfakes, Phishing, and the High-Stakes Digital Con Game of 2025

In this episode of Hack Diaries, cybersecurity expert Finn Hack explores three sophisticated scams: a $25.6 million corporate heist using AI deepfakes, an Instagram phishing campaign exploiting mailto links and typosquatted domains, and Formula 1 Grand Prix scams targeting racing enthusiasts. Finn breaks down how these attacks manipulate trust through visual deception, brand impersonation, and event excitement, while offering practical security tips to protect yourself in an increasingly complex digital landscape. Learn how to spot these emerging threats and implement effective verification measures to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thin hacks in the stack. Let's unpack the attack. Welcome
pixelated pals and cybernauts to hack diaries. One victim's story
where the Firewall's down, Curiosity's up, and I fin hack
guide you through this week's most electrifying scams. Neon green
hair streaming, binary tattooes glowing, and my digital edge charged.

(00:22):
Let's dive right into the first bite picture. This a
Hong Kong company. Lights are dim, coffee's brewing. A finance
worker settles in for a typical day, suddenly ping a message.
Join a video call with the CFO and team. But
here's the twist. Every face on screen is a deep fake,
sculpted by AI. Down to the dimple and blink. The

(00:45):
cfo's lips, move, voice pitch perfect, the chatter's oh so normal.
But it's one big con job. After an hour of
small talk and urgent business, the employee is convinced a
legitimate twenty five dollars and six cents transfer goes out
right into the scammer's pockets. According to KIRO seven in
the Identity Theft Resource Center, this deep fake impersonation ring

(01:07):
is just one of dozens now rewiring corporate trust who
needs ski masks and firearms when you've got generative adversarial
networks In easily scraped social media video digital thieves my
friends are pulling swindles at the speed of fiber codes. Cracked,
cons are whacked. Always confirm video calls with a secure
back channel, proof of life or maybe proof of wallet.

(01:31):
Hook line and scammer. Now, let's swing over to something
a little more relatable. Instagram fishing. March twenty twenty five,
Meta's mighty photo feed is hit with a campaign so
cunning it could fool even the crafty as cyber Fox
users get emails warning of suspicious logins with coded urgency
two hundred and thirty one thousand, three hundred and forty two.

(01:53):
Type it now or lose your instagloria. But this time
no classic scamming link. Instead those report this user and
remove your email. Buttons are mail toe links, crafting emails
to look like official appeals. Domains are typo squadded a
slip of the mouse a mistyped domain. That's all it takes.

(02:14):
According to malware bytes, most of the servers were dead ends,
but enough we're live to net personal data and seed
larger attacks. Let's geek out for a moment. This is
like IP spoofing's younger cousin. You expect a friendly face
at your digital door, but the address is faked, the
jacket's borrowed, and the handshake is hiding a joy buzzer.

(02:34):
Watch out for those URLs digital detectives. One stray click
and you're feeding the machine. Speaking of feeding the machine,
you didn't think scammers would skip the party circuit, did you?
Fast forward to July twenty seventh, twenty twenty five, the
Belgian Grand Prix spa Franker jumps roaring fans worldwide locked in.
It's not just cars racing, it's scams too. Cyber criminals

(02:58):
target F one enthusiasts with fish emails, flashing free tickets
and exclusive live streams. But the laugh's end when you
realize those sites slurp credentials and shoot now where straight
down your bandwidth. Cloud Sek warns that scammers are also
cloning Instagram accounts, offering fake paddock passes and pedaling counterfeit NFTs.

(03:19):
Another wild pitstop in the AI arms race. Here's your
caution flag. Always verify your links, double pitstop on payment portals,
and remember if the gear's too cheap to be true.
It's probably coded for trouble. So what do these three
tales have in common? Each hack rides the rails of trust.
Visuals you'd swear are real brands you rely on, events

(03:42):
you can't resist. Their tools are new, but the con
is old as silicon. Take two, Patch your wisdom, verify
those calls, dissect those domains, Armor up your account settings.
Bite me scammers. This one's for the good guys. Thanks
for tuning in to Hack Diaries one victims story. Come
back next week for more digital intrigue. Don't forget to

(04:04):
subscribe and stay sharp out there, medicines. This has been
a quiet please production. For more check out Quiet Please
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