{"meta":{"exportedAt":"2026-10-22T10:16:38.360Z","formatVersion":2,"selection":{"q":"deepfake-video-call","system":"","harm":"","context":"","country":"","role":"","relation":"core","evidence":"","year":"","response":"","severity":"","verification":"","view":"incidents","sort":"added"},"totalIncidents":2,"coverage":{"cases":2,"countries":2,"languages":1,"unknownLocation":0,"locationPending":0,"unknownLanguage":0,"unknownDate":1,"lawsuits":0,"regulatory":1,"minors":0,"coreRelations":2,"contextualRelations":0,"mixedRelations":0,"unknownRelations":0,"relationPending":0,"relationUnknown":0},"countingNote":"Distinct public cases in this selection. People counts apply within individual cases only; cross-case person overlap has not been resolved. No population incidence estimate.","affectedCountNote":"Interpret person counts with affectedCountStatus and the reported effects. Unquantified zeros are placeholders, not a measured zero.","source":"AI incidents","publisher":"NOPE","url":"https://nope.net/incidents","license":"CC BY 4.0"},"incidents":[{"id":"2023-kozhikode-kerala-police-say-deepfake-video-call-of-former-colleague-cost-retired-man-rs-40000-five-arrested","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'According to police, the perpetrator used AI-powered face-swapping technology (deepfake) to impersonate a former colleague of' and 'the ‘former colleague’ (deepfake) to send money for the medical treatment of the latter’s sister.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Kozhikode police said the perpetrator used AI-powered face-swapping technology (deepfake) to impersonate the victim's former colleague during a video call in which the 'former colleague' asked for money for a relative's medical treatment.","causal_attribution":"Police attribution of the impersonation to AI face-swapping, made after their investigation and arrests."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'lost Rs 40,000 soon after receiving a video call from a person claiming to be his former senior colleague and seeking money for an emergency.' and 'the money that the elderly lost on July 9 was traced and the perpetrator’s account was blocked.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The victim lost Rs 40,000 on 9 July 2023 after receiving a video call from a person claiming to be his former senior colleague who sought money for an emergency; cyber police traced the money and blocked the perpetrator's account.","causal_attribution":"The video call is the reported means of the deception."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'The police suspect the scammers are using deep fake tech to fake people’s faces and voices.' and 'It may have been created using AI,'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"In July 2023 the police said they suspected the scammers used deepfake technology to fake faces and voices, and the cyber police station officer said the display picture may have been created using AI.","causal_attribution":"Early, hedged police view, superseded by the June 2024 account."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Kozhikode Police have made history by arresting an entire group involved in creating fake audio and video content to execute financial fraud using artificial intelligence.' and 'The squad successfully apprehended five suspects from their respective hometowns.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Kozhikode police arrested five suspects from several states, describing a group that created fake audio and video content to execute financial fraud using artificial intelligence.","causal_attribution":"Police account of the arrests; no conviction is reported."}],"effects":[{"label":"retired man sent Rs 40,000 after a video call in which a deepfake impersonated a former colleague, according to police","claim_id":"c2","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/crime/kozhikode-squad-arrest-five-in-connection-with-deepfake-fraud-67e25620","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read in English on 2026-10-22 (HTTP 200). Published 22 June 2024; reports the Kozhikode police account of the arrests.","independence_group":"kozhikode-police-arrests-jun-2024"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2023/Jul/17/scammers-use-deep-fake-tech-in-kerala-dupe-retired-union-govt-employee-of-rs-40000-2595588.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read in English on 2026-10-22 (HTTP 200). Published 17 July 2023; reports the victim's account and the cyber police station officer.","independence_group":"new-indian-express-victim-and-cyber-police-jul-2023"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["finance","relationships"],"unknowns":["Which AI tool was used and how the police established face-swapping.","Whether the Rs 40,000 was returned to the victim.","Whether the five suspects were charged or convicted."],"geography":{"basis":"Event: the victim received the calls and made the payment as a resident of Kozhikode, Kerala, and Kozhikode police investigated (New Indian Express; Mathrubhumi). No court proceeding is described.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["IN"],"affected_person_countries":["IN"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published as a core case (depicted_or_impersonated, communicated_with): Kozhikode police, after arresting five suspects, said the caller used AI face-swapping to impersonate the victim's former colleague on the video call that led him to pay Rs 40,000. The police's earlier view was a suspicion, which the record states. The victim and the accused are not named.","reviewed_on":"2026-10-22"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"Kozhikode police, who investigated the complaint and arrested five suspects, said the perpetrator used AI-powered face-swapping technology to impersonate the victim's former colleague on the video call that preceded the payment (Mathrubhumi, June 2024). The faked colleague appeared to the victim and asked for money (depicted_or_impersonated, communicated_with). In July 2023 the police had described deepfake use only as a suspicion; the 2024 account does not disclose the technical basis or the tool.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["communicated_with","depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Kozhikode, Kerala: police say a deepfake video call imitating a former colleague cost a retired man Rs 40,000; five later arrested","summary":"A retired Union (central) government employee in Kozhikode, Kerala, sent Rs 40,000 on 9 July 2023 after a WhatsApp video call and voice call from someone who looked like a former senior colleague and asked for money for a relative's surgery, the New Indian Express reported; Kerala cyber police traced the money and blocked the recipient account. In June 2024 Kozhikode police said the perpetrator had used AI-powered face-swapping technology to impersonate the former colleague on the video call, and that they had arrested five suspects from several states, according to Mathrubhumi.","incidentDate":"2023-07-09","incidentKind":"single_event","incidentDatePrecision":"day","exposurePattern":"repeated_interactions","reportedDate":"2023-07-17","aiSystem":"AI face-swapping (deepfake) used in a WhatsApp video call to impersonate the victim's former colleague, according to Kozhikode police (tool not identified)","aiProduct":"Unidentified video tool","severity":"low","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["financial_loss"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"According to the New Indian Express, a retired man in Kozhikode sent Rs 40,000 after a video call from someone who looked like a former colleague; police later said the caller used AI face-swapping to impersonate the colleague.","frameworkFacets":[],"pathwayDirection":"outward","causationStatus":"supported","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One person, the retired man who sent Rs 40,000 (New Indian Express; Mathrubhumi). Friends who received similar messages are not counted; no loss by them is reported.","victimAgeRange":"elderly","jurisdiction":"IN","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"criminal_charges","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/crime/kozhikode-squad-arrest-five-in-connection-with-deepfake-fraud-67e25620","primarySourceLabel":"Mathrubhumi English, 22 June 2024: AI-driven 'Deepfake' fraud: Kozhikode Police nab all 5 accused from multiple states","firstPublishedAt":"2026-10-22T03:21:42.546478+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-10-22T03:21:42.546478+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfake-video-call","impersonation","whatsapp","older-adult","kerala","police-arrests","depicted-or-impersonated"]},{"id":"2024-hong-kong-police-say-arup-finance-worker-sent-hk200-million-after-video-call-with-deepfake-cfo-and-colleagues","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'The elaborate scam saw the worker duped into attending a video call with what he thought were several other members of staff, but all of whom were in fact deepfake recreations, Hong Kong police said at a briefing on Friday.' and 'Believing everyone else on the call was real, the worker agreed to remit a total of $200 million Hong Kong dollars – about $25.6 million, the police officer added.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"Hong Kong police said a finance worker at a multinational firm was duped into attending a video call with what appeared to be several members of staff, all of whom were deepfake recreations, and then remitted a total of HK$200 million (about US$25.6 million).","causal_attribution":"Attributed to Hong Kong police; the deepfake call is the reported means by which the worker was induced to pay."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Initially, the worker suspected it was a phishing email, as it talked of the need for a secret transaction to be carried out.' and 'However, the worker put aside his early doubts after the video call because other people in attendance had looked and sounded just like colleagues he recognized, Chan said.' and 'The scam involving the fake CFO was only discovered when the employee later checked with the corporation’s head office.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"}],"assertion":"According to the police, the worker first suspected a phishing email purportedly from the company's UK-based chief financial officer but set aside those doubts after the video call because the other participants looked and sounded like colleagues the worker recognised; the fraud was discovered when the employee later checked with head office.","causal_attribution":"Police account of how the faked participants overcame the worker's doubts."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'A spokesperson for London-based Arup told CNN on Friday that it notified Hong Kong police in January about the fraud incident, and confirmed that fake voices and images were used.' and 'However, we can confirm that fake voices and images were used,'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'confirming that at the beginning of the year it had “notified the police about an incident of fraud in Hong Kong”. It confirmed that fake voices and images were used.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"Arup confirmed in May 2024 that it was the company involved, that it had notified Hong Kong police about the fraud at the start of 2024 (in January, according to CNN), and that fake voices and images were used; it said the incident was still under investigation.","causal_attribution":"The company's own confirmation that faked voices and images were used in the fraud."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'posing as senior officers of the company requesting to transfer money to designated bank accounts' and 'the employee then transferred a total of HK$200m to five local bank accounts via 15 transactions.' and 'It said no arrests had been made so far but the investigation was ongoing'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"A Hong Kong police statement quoted by the Guardian said the employee was deceived of some HK$200 million after receiving video conference calls from someone posing as senior officers of the company, and the Guardian reports that Chan said the money went to five local bank accounts in 15 transactions; the statement said no arrests had been made so far and the investigation was ongoing.","causal_attribution":"Police account of the transfers."}],"effects":[{"label":"company lost HK$200 million after its finance worker was deceived by a deepfake video call, according to police","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/04/asia/deepfake-cfo-scam-hong-kong-intl-hnk/index.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read in English on 2026-10-22 (HTTP 200). CNN report of the Hong Kong police press briefing, published 4 February 2024.","independence_group":"hong-kong-police-briefing-feb-2024"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/16/tech/arup-deepfake-scam-loss-hong-kong-intl-hnk/index.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read in English on 2026-10-22 (HTTP 200). CNN report of Arup's emailed statement, published 17 May 2024; it also recaps the police account.","independence_group":"arup-statement-may-2024"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/may/17/uk-engineering-arup-deepfake-scam-hong-kong-ai-video","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read in English on 2026-10-22 (HTTP 200). Guardian report of Arup's statement and a Hong Kong police statement, published 17 May 2024.","independence_group":"arup-statement-may-2024"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["work","finance"],"unknowns":["Which AI tool was used and how the police established that the call participants were deepfakes.","The dates of the call and the transfers; the sources date only the report to police (January 2024).","Whether anyone has been arrested or charged for this fraud since May 2024, when police said no arrests had been made, and whether any money was recovered.","Whether the worker faced any personal consequence."],"geography":{"basis":"Event: the fraud was reported to and investigated by Hong Kong police, and the deceived worker was an employee in Hong Kong (CNN; Guardian). The company is London-based, which does not locate the event. No court proceeding is reported.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["HK"],"affected_person_countries":["HK"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published as a core case (depicted_or_impersonated, communicated_with): Hong Kong police said the colleagues on the video call that led a finance worker to remit HK$200 million were deepfake recreations, and Arup confirmed that fake voices and images were used. The technical basis is not disclosed. The worker is not named.","reviewed_on":"2026-10-22"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"Hong Kong police, investigating the fraud, said the other participants in the video call that persuaded the finance worker to remit HK$200 million were deepfake recreations of company staff, including the chief financial officer (CNN, February 2024). Arup, the company that reported the fraud to police, separately confirmed that fake voices and images were used (CNN and the Guardian, May 2024). The faked participants impersonated colleagues toward the worker and gave the instructions on the call (depicted_or_impersonated, communicated_with). Neither the police nor Arup identifies the tool or discloses the technical basis for calling the recreations deepfakes.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["communicated_with","depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Hong Kong: police say an Arup finance worker sent HK$200 million after a video call with deepfake CFO and colleagues; firm confirms fake voices and images","summary":"Hong Kong police said at a press briefing reported by CNN on 4 February 2024 that a finance worker at a multinational firm had been duped into attending a video call with what appeared to be the company's UK-based chief financial officer and other staff, all of whom were deepfake recreations, and had then remitted a total of HK$200 million (about US$25.6 million). In May 2024 the British engineering firm Arup confirmed to CNN and the Guardian that it was the company involved, that it had notified Hong Kong police in January 2024, and that fake voices and images were used. The worker was not named.","incidentKind":"single_event","incidentDatePrecision":"unknown","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2024-02-04","aiSystem":"Deepfake video and voice recreations of the company's chief financial officer and other staff presented in a video conference call (tool not identified)","aiProduct":"Unidentified video tool","severity":"high","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["financial_loss"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"According to Hong Kong police, a finance worker deceived by a video call with deepfake recreations of the firm's CFO and colleagues remitted HK$200 million to fraudsters; Arup confirmed it was the company and that fake voices and images were used.","frameworkFacets":[],"pathwayDirection":"outward","causationStatus":"supported","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":0,"affectedCountStatus":"unquantified","affectedCountEvidence":"The loss fell on the company. The sources describe the finance worker as the person deceived but report no personal loss or other consequence for the worker, so no person count is given (zero placeholders).","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"HK","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"investigation_opened","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/04/asia/deepfake-cfo-scam-hong-kong-intl-hnk/index.html","primarySourceLabel":"CNN, 4 February 2024: Finance worker pays out $25 million after video call with deepfake 'chief financial officer'","firstPublishedAt":"2026-10-22T03:10:49.091739+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-10-22T03:10:49.091739+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfake-video-call","executive-impersonation","business-fraud","hong-kong","police-statement","depicted-or-impersonated"]}]}