A Ferrari executive received several suspicious WhatsApp messages from someone claiming to be CEO Benedetto Vigna, requesting help with a confidential acquisition and asking him to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement. The messages didn’t come from Vigna’s usual number and the profile picture was different but convincing. However, the executive became suspicious when he was asked to identify a book that Vigna had recently recommended. The call ended abruptly, and Ferrari launched an investigation.
This is not the first attempt to impersonate a high-profile executive using deepfake technology. In May, Mark Read of advertising giant WPP Plc also fell victim to a similar scam. Some companies have already lost money due to these frauds, such as an unnamed multinational company that lost HK$200 million ($26 million) in Hong Kong.
Deepfake tools can create convincing images, videos, and recordings but haven’t yet been able to cause widespread deception. However, some companies are already training their executives on how to spot deepfake scams. According to cybersecurity experts, these AI-based deepfake sophistication tools are expected to become increasingly accurate.
Source: https://fortune.com/2024/07/27/ferrari-deepfake-attempt-scammer-security-question-ceo-benedetto-vigna-cybersecurity-ai/