Deepfake Video Call Fraud Targets Arup Financial Worker, $25 Million Lost
A financial worker at engineering firm Arup in Hong Kong was defrauded of $25 million in 2024 after joining a video call where all other participants, including the alleged chief financial officer, were deepfake faces generated by artificial intelligence.
What happened
In 2024, a financial worker at Arup joined a video call with colleagues to discuss a confidential acquisition. After the company transferred $25 million, it was discovered that every other participant in the call, including the alleged chief financial officer, was an AI-generated deepfake face.
Reported impact
The fraud resulted in a loss of $25 million to Arup. According to a 2024 Deloitte report, fraud schemes using generative AI are projected to cost the United States alone $40 billion by the following year.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.