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Cybercriminals have been continuously offering malicious services on the darknet, including the provision of deepfake creation services. These deepfakes don’t just pose a risk to a person’ reputation and privacy but are also a danger to their finances. The offers range from the creation of pornographic deepfakes for revenge, to simulating cryptostreams intended to be used in cryptoscams. The cost of these deepfake videos varies from $300 to $20,000 per minute.
In today's digital age, the risk of falling victim to deepfakes is ever-increasing as fraudsters can easily extract images of their potential targets. These manipulated videos and images can be used for various malicious purposes, including financial fraud, political manipulation, revenge, and harassment. However, the creation of high-quality deepfakes requires technical expertise and advanced software, which is why individuals seeking to create fake media turn to deepfake creation services available on the dark web. Experts at Kaspersky have studied darknet forums to gain insight into the workings of the darknet deepfake industry.
Research reveals that there is significant demand for deepfakes, surpassing the available supply. People are actively searching for individuals who can create fake videos for them. The cost of creating or purchasing deepfakes varies depending on the complexity of the project and the quality of the final product. In some cases, individuals may even request deepfakes of specific targets such as celebrities or political figures. The prices per minute of deepfake video can range from $300 to $20,000.
A significant number of analyzed posts referred to cryptoscams. Some providers offer high-quality deepfakes for the purpose of cryptocurrency fraud. Their service includes creating "Cryptostreams" or "Fake Crypto Giveaways," which are popular scams where fraudsters collect cryptocurrency by broadcasting fake giveaways. To create these deepfakes, scammers use footage of celebrities or splice together old videos to launch live streams on social media platforms. They promise to double any cryptocurrency payment sent to them and often show a pre-generated page where victims are asked to transfer anywhere from 2500 to 1000000 XRP, with the promise of doubling their payment. As a result, users caught in this scam can lose anywhere from $1,000 to $460,000.
In addition to the fact that deepfakes to be used for financial fraud, they can also cause a big issue for privacy. It's disturbing to note that some deepfake creators are offering their services for the creation of pornographic videos. These vendors are also creating tutorials on the creation of these fake videos, including lessons on selecting the source material and swapping faces to create a convincing forgery. Unfortunately, these porn-deepfakes can be used to victimize and blackmail individuals, leading to serious emotional harm and even financial loss.
Continuous monitoring of Dark web resources provides valuable insights into the deepfake industry, allowing researchers to track the latest trends and activities of threat actors in this space. By monitoring the darknet, researchers can uncover new tools, services, and marketplaces used for the creation and distribution of deepfakes. This type of monitoring is a critical component of deepfake research, and helps improve our understanding of the evolving threat landscape. Kaspersky's Digital Footprint Intelligence service includes this type of monitoring to help its customers stay ahead of the curve when it comes to deepfake-related threats.
To be protected from threats related to deepfakes, Kaspersky recommends:
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