Deepfake executives are infiltrating video meetings as…

An employee at a Hong Kong-based company was deceived into authorizing a nearly €24 million transfer after attending a routine video conference where all other participants were AI-generated deepfakes. The incident highlights the growing threat of sophisticated synthetic media being used to bypass traditional corporate security measures.

What happened

The attackers utilized internal company video material to create convincing AI-generated video and audio to impersonate senior executives and colleagues. By appearing as multiple trusted faces simultaneously, the criminals exploited the natural trust between coworkers, making the fraudulent request appear legitimate. The victim participated in the video call and was convinced to initiate the financial transfer, only discovering the deception after later speaking with the real manager. Investigators noted that the criminals combined realistic visual impersonation with psychological pressure to create a sense of urgency, preventing the employee from questioning the request's authenticity. This case serves as a stark example of how visual and auditory AI synthesis, when paired with social engineering, can overcome human judgment even in experienced professionals.