{"url":"https://www.wsj.com/articles/ai-drives-rise-in-ceo-impersonator-scams-2bd675c4","title":"AI Fuels CEO Deepfake Scam Surge","domain":"wsj.com","imageUrl":"https://images.pexels.com/photos/5648418/pexels-photo-5648418.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&h=650&w=940","pexelsSearchTerm":"scammer impersonating CEO","category":"Tech","language":"en","slug":"c4e72576","id":"c4e72576-7c10-41b7-9b5b-bf80d8675bb9","description":"Deepfake Surge: Scammers use AI-generated voice and video to impersonate CEOs and trick employees into sending money or data.[[1]](https://www.wsj.com/arti","summary":"## TL;DR\n- **Deepfake Surge:** Scammers use AI-generated voice and video to impersonate CEOs and trick employees into sending money or data.[[1]](https://www.wsj.com/articles/ai-drives-rise-in-ceo-impersonator-scams-2bd675c4)\n- **105,000 Attacks:** U.S. saw over 105,000 deepfake-related attacks last year, or one every five minutes, per Adaptive Security CEO Brian Long.[[1]](https://www.wsj.com/articles/ai-drives-rise-in-ceo-impersonator-scams-2bd675c4)[[2]](https://www.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/1mxxelg/ai_drives_rise_in_ceo_impersonator_scams_cyber)\n- **Company Targets:** Firms like Ferrari, Wiz, WPP faced attacks; Arup lost $25 million in a cited video impersonation case.[[2]](https://www.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/1mxxelg/ai_drives_rise_in_ceo_impersonator_scams_cyber)[[3]](https://vendorinfo.com/protect-against-deepfake-impersonation-fraud-in-accounts-payable-part-i)\n\n## The story at a glance\nCybercriminals are using artificial intelligence (AI) to create realistic deepfake videos and voices of corporate executives, fooling employees into transferring millions in cash or sensitive data. Companies hit include Ferrari, cloud-security firm Wiz, and advertising company WPP, with cybersecurity firm Adaptive Security reporting a sharp rise in such incidents. The article by Angus Loten appeared as AI tools made these scams more accessible and convincing. YouTube CEO Neal Mohan appeared in an AI-generated video that drew a platform warning in March.[[1]](https://www.wsj.com/articles/ai-drives-rise-in-ceo-impersonator-scams-2bd675c4)\n\n## Key points\n- Scammers impersonate top executives via true-to-life AI voice clones and video deepfakes to target lower-level workers.[[1]](https://www.wsj.com/articles/ai-drives-rise-in-ceo-impersonator-scams-2bd675c4)\n- In the U.S., deepfake-related attacks topped 105,000 last year, up massively from 2023, according to Brian Long of OpenAI-backed Adaptive Security.[[1]](https://www.wsj.com/articles/ai-drives-rise-in-ceo-impersonator-scams-2bd675c4)\n- Attacks now affect about half of security executives surveyed by Long, versus one in 10 a year earlier.[[2]](https://www.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/1mxxelg/ai_drives_rise_in_ceo_impersonator_scams_cyber)\n- Arup employee transferred $25 million after a video call with AI-generated fakes of executives, a case cited by experts.[[2]](https://www.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/1mxxelg/ai_drives_rise_in_ceo_impersonator_scams_cyber)\n- Ferrari, Wiz, and WPP reported CEO impersonation attempts using these AI methods.[[3]](https://vendorinfo.com/protect-against-deepfake-impersonation-fraud-in-accounts-payable-part-i)\n- Adaptive Security specializes in defenses against AI-powered social engineering attacks.[[2]](https://www.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/1mxxelg/ai_drives_rise_in_ceo_impersonator_scams_cyber)\n\n## Details and context\nScammers train AI models on public videos like interviews or earnings calls to mimic executives' speech, faces, and gestures in real time. These deepfakes appear in video meetings or calls, often pressing urgent, confidential requests that bypass normal checks. The Arup case from last year involved a Hong Kong employee sending funds across 15 transactions after such a fake meeting.[[1]](https://www.wsj.com/articles/ai-drives-rise-in-ceo-impersonator-scams-2bd675c4)\n\nAI tools have lowered barriers, turning once-rare scams into frequent threats—no longer just futuristic risks. Firms face losses in cash, data, or access credentials, with attacks hitting even security-savvy companies like Wiz.[[1]](https://www.wsj.com/articles/ai-drives-rise-in-ceo-impersonator-scams-2bd675c4)\n\n## Key quotes\n“[In the U.S., there were more than 105,000 deepfake-related attacks last year—or roughly an attack every five minutes—a massive jump from 2023,]” said Brian Long, chief executive and co-founder of OpenAI-backed cybersecurity firm Adaptive Security.[[1]](https://www.wsj.com/articles/ai-drives-rise-in-ceo-impersonator-scams-2bd675c4)\n\n“A year ago, maybe one in 10 security executives I spoke to had seen one. Now it’s closer to five in 10,” said Long, whose firm specializes in guarding against AI-powered social engineering attacks.[[2]](https://www.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/1mxxelg/ai_drives_rise_in_ceo_impersonator_scams_cyber)\n\n## Why it matters\nAI deepfakes erode trust in video and voice communications, raising risks for businesses handling large transfers or sensitive information. Employees and firms could lose millions per incident, as seen with Arup's $25 million, demanding better verification beyond tech alone. Watch for rising defenses like passphrases or low-tech checks, though scammers may adapt quickly.\n\n## FAQ\nQ: How do AI CEO impersonation scams typically work?\nA: Scammers create deepfake videos or voice clones from public executive footage, then use them in urgent calls or meetings to trick staff into wiring money, sharing data, or granting access. Targets are often junior employees with transaction authority. The fakes mimic real-time speech and expressions convincingly.[[1]](https://www.wsj.com/articles/ai-drives-rise-in-ceo-impersonator-scams-2bd675c4)\n\nQ: What is the scale of deepfake attacks reported in the article?\nA: Over 105,000 deepfake-related attacks occurred in the U.S. last year, or about one every five minutes, a big increase from 2023 according to Adaptive Security. Half of security executives now encounter them, up from 10% a year ago.[[1]](https://www.wsj.com/articles/ai-drives-rise-in-ceo-impersonator-scams-2bd675c4)\n\nQ: Which companies were affected by these CEO scams?\nA: Ferrari, cloud-security company Wiz, and advertising firm WPP reported CEO impersonation attacks. Arup suffered a $25 million loss from a deepfake video executive meeting.[[3]](https://vendorinfo.com/protect-against-deepfake-impersonation-fraud-in-accounts-payable-part-i)\n\nQ: Who provided data on the rise in these attacks?\nA: Brian Long, CEO and co-founder of OpenAI-backed Adaptive Security, shared figures on 105,000 attacks and the jump in executive awareness. His firm focuses on AI social engineering defenses.[[1]](https://www.wsj.com/articles/ai-drives-rise-in-ceo-impersonator-scams-2bd675c4)\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n[[1]](https://www.wsj.com/articles/ai-drives-rise-in-ceo-impersonator-scams-2bd675c4)","hashtags":["#ai","#deepfakes","#cybersecurity","#scams","#fraud","#business"],"sources":[{"url":"https://www.wsj.com/articles/ai-drives-rise-in-ceo-impersonator-scams-2bd675c4","title":"Original article"},{"url":"https://www.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/1mxxelg/ai_drives_rise_in_ceo_impersonator_scams_cyber","title":""},{"url":"https://vendorinfo.com/protect-against-deepfake-impersonation-fraud-in-accounts-payable-part-i","title":""}],"viewCount":2,"publishedAt":"2026-04-21T17:48:32.475Z","createdAt":"2026-04-21T17:48:32.475Z","articlePublishedAt":"2025-08-18T00:00:00.000Z"}