Artificial realities create real losses
In the shadow of the dark web, a disturbing industry is growing that is taking cybercrime to a new level. Among the services offered on these digital black markets is the creation of deepfakes - artificially generated videos that can imitate real people and places with frightening accuracy. According to research from Kaspersky, a leading provider of cybersecurity solutions, fraudsters are using this technology to deceive unsuspecting consumers.
Travel to the land of counterfeits
In Austria in particular, a new scam has emerged that plays with this technology: fake travel offers. The fraudsters take money out of consumers' pockets for trips that only exist in the deepfake videos they create. According to Thorsten Behrens, project manager at Watchlist Internet, an advice center for Internet rip-offs, consumers are lured with video consultations from apparent travel agency employees via WhatsApp. But both the “advisor” and the hotels presented do not really exist, but are fake products.
Perfecting the illusion
Sometimes real images are stolen and manipulated. A real hotel on Mallorca was taken and, after the surrounding mountains were digitally removed, sold as part of a travel offer to Greece.
Protection against virtual rip-offs
The experts at Watchlist Internet strongly warn against these fraudulent practices. The fraudulent offers are often spread via social media such as Facebook and lure people with seemingly cheap offers. Behrens advises you to be particularly careful if a deposit of more than 30 percent of the travel price is required.
Detection of deepfakes
It's difficult to tell whether travel offers are real or not. Behrens recommends checking on Google Maps in Street View mode whether the hotel being advertised actually exists. Another option is to do a Google reverse image search to find out if the same photo is used in other travel catalogs in the same location.
Conclusion : In a digitalized world where reality and fiction are often difficult to separate, protection against fraud is becoming increasingly important. Experts like Behrens warn: “The topic of holiday fraud is currently very present in cybercrime.” To be on the safe side, consumers should always research thoroughly and contact experts if they suspect anything.
Also read: Warning: fraudulent emails in the name of the police
Sources:
Watchlist Internet , Futurezone
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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )

