Can we take a step back and look at what we're sharing on Facebook?

Father Rafael Capó, vice president for mission and ministry and dean of theology at St. Thomas University, has experienced the rising threat of digital impersonation firsthand. As an active presence on social media for evangelization, Father Capó discovered that bad actors were hijacking his identity to deceive his followers. These incidents highlight a growing trend where malicious actors leverage the trust established by religious figures to orchestrate fraudulent activities.

What happened

Impersonators began creating false profiles using Father Capó’s name, role as a priest, and personal images. By successfully mimicking his digital presence, the attackers reached out to his followers under the guise of his authority. The situation escalated when these impersonators started making direct monetary appeals to unsuspecting users. Followers began contacting the real Father Capó to verify if the solicitations were legitimate, revealing a disturbing pattern of exploitation.

Addressing the issue proved difficult, requiring Father Capó to contact social media companies to undergo formal profile verification to regain control of his online identity. The threat has since evolved beyond simple profile cloning. Father Capó noted that the integration of AI to create synthetic videos has taken impersonation to a more complex and dangerous level. These deepfakes are increasingly used to manipulate Church news and current issues, confusing viewers about the legitimacy of information sources. In response to these challenges, St. Thomas University has moved to adopt institutional standards for ethical AI. Experts suggest that the faithful can protect themselves by relying strictly on official Church communication channels and remaining vigilant for technical inconsistencies in videos—often referred to as the "uncanny valley"—that suggest synthetic manipulation.