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5 Ways to Spot if a Video is Real or a Deepfake

2023-12-30 , 2:54 pm

Guarding Against Deepfake Deception: 5 Crucial Tips to Spot Fake Videos and Avoid Scams

With the increased usage of artificial intelligence (AI), we’ve seen many deepfake videos where investment scams were being promoted.

If you’re not chronically online and have not come across such videos, firstly, good for you and secondly, let me explain.

Deepfake videos are the product of AI manipulation, designed to make something appear as what it is not.

Not even our Deputy Prime Minister, Lawrence Wong, has been immune to this phenomenon, as a deepfake video featuring him endorsing an investment scam circulated across numerous social media platforms.

@straitstimes
In the video, DPM @lawrencewongst’s mouth is noticeably altered to synchronise with a fake voice-over promoting an investment scam. #sgnews #deepfake #fake #scammeralert

♬ original sound – The Straits Times – The Straits Times

To avoid falling for such deceptive content, we’ve compiled a list of methods to identify deepfake videos. Here’s how to spot them:

Observe Facial Expressions

The first thing you should do observe the facial expressions of the person in the video.

Deepfake videos often exhibit unnatural facial movements that do not sync with the spoken dialogue, along with irregular blinking patterns.

Additionally, lip sync errors are also common (yes, scammers can be lazy, too), with the audio being misaligned with the lip movements of the individual.

For instance, upon examining the Lawrence Wong video, you’ll notice a slight misalignment between his lip movements and the audio.

That is even more obvious with PM Lee’s deepfake video.

Analyse the Physical Appearance of the Person

The second technique involves assessing the physical appearance of the person featured in the video. No, we’re not advocating judging and leaving hateful remarks.

Deepfake videos could sometimes display distorted lines around the subject’s face.

Another telltale sign is the consistency of the person’s face or body, which can appear distorted when the subject makes head or body movements.

Identify Audio Discrepancies

The third approach focuses on audio discrepancies. Pay attention to any anomalies in the person’s speech.

These might include audio glitches, background noises, incorrect pronunciation of certain words, or even alterations in the tone of the individual’s voice.

Once again, examining the Lawrence Wong video, you may notice that while the voice is reminiscent of his, the tone comes across as somewhat robotic.

Observe Unusual Background or Surrounding

Fourth on the list is observing peculiar surroundings or backgrounds in the video.

Deepfake technology sometimes struggle to seamlessly integrate backgrounds resulting in blurring effects, inconsistent lighting, or misaligned edges. You know, kind of like those TikTok videos whereby the person removed the background, but sometimes, you’d still see a bit of the real background when he’s make large action.

Verify the Source of the Video

Lastly and perhaps most crucially, verify the source of the video. Always ensure that the video is from a credible and reputable source and be wary of content posted by anonymous social media accounts.

If you’re unsure, you can even leverage deepfake detection tools such as FakeCatcher, developed by Intel. This tool is designed to swiftly identify fake videos, boasting an impressive 96% accuracy rate.

But the best way is always to be discerning: if it’s too good to be true, it’s fake.