As AI-generated scams become more convincing, more than half of all Australians are unable to tell the difference between a real image and a deepfake, according to new data.
Commbank surveyed almost 2000 people across the country and found that nearly 89 per cent were confident they could identify an AI-generated scam.
But only 42 per cent were actually able to distinguish between a real image and an AI-generated one.
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Commbank scam and fraud general manager James Roberts said the findings revealed a growing gap between confidence and reality.
"And that gap is exactly what scammers are looking to exploit as they increasingly turn to AI to target everyday Australians and small businesses," he said.
Commbank shared several real and AI images of people that it used in the research.
Roberts said scammers are using deepfake photos, voice and text clones of loved ones, senior executives and government officials and fake investment videos to orchestrate their scams.
These types of scams are so effective because they target people's instincts, according to Monash University Professor of Human Factors in Cyber Security Monica Whitty.
"Humans tend to trust faces, voices and familiar people. Deepfakes take advantage of that instinct," she said.
Commbank found that investment scams were the most common, followed by business email compromise scams and relationship scams.
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The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission's National Anti-Scam Centre found that Australians lost almost $260 million to scams from January to September last year, with the most common method being online content, such as fake websites, advertisements, social media, and apps.
The scam centre advises Australians to stop and check before giving their money away, look out for red flags, check in with their loved ones and start open conversations about scams.
"Scammers will create a sense of urgency to pressure you into acting quickly. Don't rush to make decisions about money or sharing personal details," the National Anti-Scam Centre says on its website.
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Roberts said the tried and true method of stopping and checking whether something is a scam is the best way to fight AI scams.
Using the example of the "hey mum/dad" phishing calls, he advised people to slow down and ask for a family safe word or hang up and call loved ones' usual number.
"Deepfakes might be new, but the same tried-and-tested habits – slowing down, checking details and speaking with someone you know and trust, such as a family member, remains your best defence – even against AI-powered scams," he said.
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