More details have been released about an elaborate deepfake scam that duped a finance worker into paying out $25 million to fraudsters.
The London-based design and engineering company Arup on Friday confirmed that it was the target of the fraud, which Hong Kong police had reported in February.
“Unfortunately, we can’t go into details at this stage as the incident is still the subject of an ongoing investigation. However, we can confirm that fake voices and images were used,” an Arup spokesperson said in an emailed statement to CNN.
“Our financial stability and business operations were not affected and none of our internal systems were compromised,” the person added.
The police report in February said an employee had attended a video call with people he recognized as the chief financial officer and other corporate officers — but who turned out to be deepfake creations.
In the call, the targeted employee was tasked with carrying out a “secret transaction” of a total of 200 million Hong Kong dollars — about $25.6 million U.S. The amount was sent across 15 transactions, Hong Kong public broadcaster RTHK reported, citing police.
The police did not name the company or parties involved; Arup confirmed the target was a Hong Kong-based employee in its finance office.
The company’s statement Friday said it notified Hong Kong police in January about the fraud.
A top engineering consulting firm, Arup has 18,500 employees in 34 offices around the world. Its landmark projects include the Sydney Opera House and the Bird’s Nest stadium, an iconic venue of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
“Deepfake” videos, created using artificial intelligence, present extremely realistic images. Authorities around the world are growing increasingly concerned about the sophistication of the technology and the nefarious uses it can be put to.
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