The internet is making it harder to believe your eyes and ears. Photoshop has always been a handy tool for bad actors, but the explosion of software and services that make it easier than ever to manipulate video and sound are opening up new avenues for deception. Ferrari almost fell victim to such a scam after someone attempted to impersonate company CEO Benedetto Vigna in WhatsApp messages and a phone call with another executive.
The WhatsApp messages didn’t come from Vigna’s usual number, which raised the unnamed executive’s suspicion, but the imposter tried to explain the discrepancy once on the phone. According to the Bloomberg report, the impersonator did a spot-on imitation of Vigna’s voice. However, the executive picked up on a few inconsistencies that prompted him to ask the imposter to verify their identity.
The executive asked the caller to name the title of a book Vigna had just recommended. The caller didn’t answer, and instead hung up. The messages from the imposter discussed a “big acquisition” that required the executive’s “utmost discretion.” It’s unclear what the scammers were attempting to accomplish.
We’ll likely see more scams involving deepfaked voices as the technology improves. Corporate espionage is real, and the automotive industry is a highly competitive global industry full of potential attack vectors that better-trained attackers could exploit in the future.
Companies will have to take new measures to train their employees to spot and avoid deepfaked phone calls and text messages just like they trained them to avoid phishing emails. Maybe the only truly safe option is just not to answer any more phone calls, emails, or text messages, and move to a cabin in the mountains.
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