Deepfake Fraud: How Cybercriminals Are Using AI to Impersonate Executives

Written By Hina Riaz

Deepfake fraud has surged in 2025, with cybercriminals using AI-generated videos, audio, and voice clones to impersonate executives in scams targeting businesses. These attacks trick employees into transferring funds, revealing sensitive data, or granting unauthorized access, resulting in multimillion-dollar losses like the $25 million Arup incident in 2024.  

The Rise of Deepfake Executive Impersonation 

AI tools enable attackers to create hyper-realistic deepfakes from mere seconds of public audio or video, such as podcasts or webinars. Common tactics include: 

  • Vishing (Voice Phishing): Cloned executive voices in urgent calls demanding wire transfers or confidential info, with vishing attacks up 170% in Q2 2025.  

  • Video Deepfakes: Real-time face-swaps during video calls, fooling even security experts; 40% of IT pros reported executive deepfake targets in 2025, up from 33% in 2023.  

  • Whaling Attacks: Highly targeted scams mimicking CEOs or CFOs via multi-channel escalation (email, calls, video), often bypassing biometrics.  

  • BEC (Business Email Compromise): Deepfakes combined with phishing to divert vendor payments.  

Deepfake files exploded from 500K in 2023 to 8M in 2025, with fraud attempts spiking 3,000%.  

Business Impacts and Real-World Examples 

These scams exploit trust in leadership, causing financial devastation, data breaches, and reputational harm. Attackers target finance/HR teams under end-of-quarter pressure, leading to unauthorized transactions or espionage. Executives face personal risks too, as breaches extend to home networks. Startups like imper.ai raised $28M in December 2025 to combat this boom.  

How MSSPs Mitigate Deepfake Threats 

Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) deploy layered defenses to detect and neutralize deepfakes: 

  • AI-Powered Detection Tools: Analyze media for inconsistencies in audio-visual data, voice patterns, and liveness challenges to verify authenticity in real-time.  

  • Behavioral Analytics and UEBA: Monitor anomalies like unusual access requests or multi-channel escalations tied to impersonation attempts.  

  • Phishing Simulations and Training: Run realistic deepfake/vishing drills with executive clones, code-phrase systems, and verification protocols (e.g., callback policies).  

  • Incident Response Playbooks: 90-day frameworks for risk assessment, technical controls (e.g., payment gates), and board reporting to contain scams swiftly.  

  • Threat Intelligence Integration: Track emerging deepfake tools like Deep-Live-Cam and global IoCs for proactive blocking.  

These measures reduce human error—the key deepfake vulnerability—while automating responses. 

Conclusion 

Deepfake executive impersonation exploits AI realism and human trust, driving massive fraud in 2025. MSSPs counter with advanced detection, training, and rapid response, turning potential crises into manageable risks. 

Protect Against Deepfake Fraud with CyberSecOp 

Secure your executives and teams from AI scams through CyberSecOp’s MSSP services featuring deepfake detection and proactive defenses. 

  • Customer Service: 1 866-973-2677 

CyberSecOp assists organizations with Cyber Security and Privacy Consulting Services, providing services such as Cyber Security Program, Data Privacy Security Program, and Cyber Security Assessment services based on the following: NIST, ISO 27001, GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, PCI, CMMC, GLBA amongst others. Don’t risk regulatory fines. Stay compliant with CyberSecOp Security Compliance and Cyber Incident Response Services. For More Information Call 866-973-2677

CyberSecOp an award winning cybersecurity consulting company, Click here to find out more.

Hina Riaz
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