Neural Networks and Grief: Digital Copies of the Deceased Become a New Scam Tactic

Scammers have started using neural networks to create digital copies of deceased people for deception and manipulation. This was reported by journalists, citing the Digital Expertise Center of Roskachestvo.

Initially, the technology of digital "resurrection," based on neural network algorithms, was developed for therapeutic purposes to help people cope with severe loss through symbolic "communication" with a projection of the deceased. However, these developments soon attracted the attention of criminals.

Attackers are using this technology to influence emotionally vulnerable people experiencing loss. Digital copies can impersonate deceased relatives, convincing victims of the need for financial assistance or recommending certain products.

A neural bot trained on data from a real person can pass biometric verification in some systems, confirming consent with a voice to receive a microloan or even signing electronic documents. In Russia, cases of fraud have been recorded for the second year, when, with the help of deepfake videos, attackers, under the guise of deceased people, steal money.

Accounts of the deceased can also be used for phishing mailings, which do not arouse suspicion among recipients, as they come from a "live" profile on social networks with a history of correspondence.

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