Deepfake and fraud: fake profiles for a few cents

Part 1: about the definition of deepfake and about fraud as a service.

She studied Systems Engineering and Policy Analysis at TU Delft. During her studies, she researched new technologies that can be fascinating on the one hand, and harmful to society on the other. For individuals. And for companies and governments. This led to the establishment of DuckDuckGoose in 2020. Since then, Parya Lotfi, co-founder and CEO of the tech company, has been developing deepfake detection for companies and governments with her team members.

Generate and manipulate

When you think of a deepfake, you probably think of manipulated video messages from famous people that are often meant to be funny. But according to Lotfi, the definition is broader than that. "Deepfake is any form of audio and visual media that has been generated or manipulated with generative AI," she explains. Think of photos and videos of people and objects, but also documents such as invoices and proof of purchase. So editing a photo as a joke for a birthday or retirement is also a deepfake.

The risks of deepfakes

Different forms of deepfake each come with their own risk. That is why it is also important for insurers to understand what types of deepfakes there are, and where they can have an impact on work processes such as underwriting, claims and customer contact:

• Deepfake van stem (audio)

• Deepfake van beeld (foto of video)

• Synthetische identiteit (nep persoon)

• Deepfake van documenten en bewijsstukken

• Deepfake in social engineering (psychologische misleiding)

• Desinformatie met deepfakes

Fraud as a service

But who uses, or rather, who abuses deepfake technology? In her work, Lotfi does not only encounter individuals who manipulate a photo of a smartphone so that it appears damaged. She also sees what is happening on the dark web. There are groups of criminals, for example from Southeast Asia and South America, who specialise in identity fraud, among other things. They falsify videos or passport photos and data on identity documents with which they create fake profiles. If it turns out that they can easily open a bank account with it, they offer the deepfakes for sale. Lotfi: "I find it unbelievable that they are for sale for a few cents. And does such a fake profile not work? Then they give money back or deliver a new one. So this is fraud as a service."

From profile picture to video

Meanwhile, the development of generative AI continues and further. And Lotfti keeps a close eye on that. "The AI tools that allow you to create deepfakes are not only becoming more user-friendly. The results are also getting better and better."
She continues: "And what is still coming our way? These are, for example, non-human deepfakes and deepfakes where the quality of faces is even better. One of the latest developments is that you can make a video based on a LinkedIn profile picture, i.e. on the basis of a single frame picture. That video is also of good quality. And it even goes so far that such a moving image can participate in a meeting."

Part 2 of this triptych will be published soon. In it, Lotfi shares real-life examples of deepfake abuse to provide insight into its impact on businesses.

The Boef de Baas 2026

Lotfi will provide a sub-session on March 26 during De Boef de Baas, an event of the Association that this year is all about technology and AI as a weapon and opponent in the fight against fraud and crime. Relevant for strategists and policymakers, security managers, fraud and incident investigators, data analysts, cybersecurity specialists, risk officers and professionals in the field of digital resilience.

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Insurance Academy

Masterclass 'Hoe voldoe je aan de AI-act?'

• 23/03/2026
• Den Haag
• Opleiding

In 2025, the Resilient and Vigilant vision on tackling fraud and (cyber) crime in the insurance sector will be published.