Deepfakes can imitate real people in video, audio, images or text, and the FBI warns they can support fraud, social engineering and foreign influence. U.S. intelligence specifically assessed in 2024 that Russia was using AI to create deepfakes and developing the ability to fool experts. The evidence cited here does not establish an equivalent China-specific deepfake campaign; the FBI’s warning about China is part of a broader warning that nation-states may use synthetic content for influence and misinformation.
What the FBI warning says—and what it does not
The FBI uses “deepfake” broadly for AI-generated or manipulated images, video, audio and text. Its March 29, 2022 testimony warned that advances in AI and machine learning were improving the speed, believability, scale and automation of synthetic media depicting events that never happened. The Bureau said criminals could use personalized content for social engineering, spear phishing, business-email compromise and fraud, while nation-states could use it for foreign influence and disinformation. FBI testimony, March 29, 2022.
The Russia-specific intelligence judgment is more direct: the Office of the Director of National Intelligence wrote in its 2024 Annual Threat Assessment, “Russia is using AI to create deepfakes and is developing the capability to fool experts.” ODNI 2024 Annual Threat Assessment.
That statement should not be stretched into a claim that every deepfake is Russian, or that the cited sources document a particular China-led deepfake operation. The FBI testimony identifies China and other nation-states in the broader foreign-influence threat context; it does not provide the same specific public judgment about Chinese deepfake use as ODNI provides about Russia. Deepfakes are also used by criminals with no established state connection.
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The FBI says a deepfake alone is not automatically a basis for an investigation. There must be a clear connection to a federal crime or a foreign actor. FBI testimony, March 29, 2022.
How deepfakes are used to deceive
Synthetic media can make a false event appear real, or make a message seem to come from someone the recipient trusts. A convincing voice note might press a worker to transfer money; an altered video might spread a false claim about a public event; an impersonation might seek credentials or sensitive information. The FBI identifies social engineering, spear phishing, business-email compromise, fraud and foreign influence among the relevant risks. FBI testimony, March 29, 2022.
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Recent FBI notices illustrate impersonation risks without proving that every such incident is state-sponsored. On May 15, 2025, the FBI warned of an ongoing campaign using AI-generated voice messages to impersonate senior U.S. officials. FBI PSA, May 15, 2025. On July 20, 2026, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) warned that scammers had used AI-generated videos impersonating FBI personnel. IC3 PSA I-072026, July 20, 2026.
Clues to inspect in a suspicious video or voice message
The FBI recommends looking and listening for artifacts such as these. They are clues to prompt verification, not a reliable test: a polished video may still be synthetic, and a genuine recording may have poor quality or unusual lighting.
- Face and appearance: warped or blurred features, mismatched skin or hair, misplaced eyebrows, or abnormal skin color.
- Movement and expression: unnatural motion or head and body positioning, and blinking that seems excessive or insufficient.
- Lighting and surroundings: unnatural shadows, inconsistent colors, poor lighting, or background sounds that do not fit the scene.
- Speech and timing: delayed or choppy audio, strange pauses, unusual inflection, or abnormal phrasing.
The FBI says synthetic-content creation has been “commoditized and scaled beyond once limited use cases.” Meanwhile, ODNI warns that Russia is developing deepfakes capable of fooling experts. Do not treat the absence of visible glitches—or a detector’s confident result—as proof of authenticity. FBI guidance on AI-generated content; ODNI 2024 Annual Threat Assessment.
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How to verify a message claiming to be from an official
- Pause before acting. Treat an unexpected urgent video, voice message or text as unverified, especially if it asks for a transfer, credentials, sensitive information or secrecy.
- Contact the person independently. Use a phone number or communication channel you already know is genuine. Do not use a number, link or contact method provided in the suspicious message.
- Check the claim elsewhere. Look for confirmation on the relevant agency’s official website and in reputable news reporting. IC3 specifically advises checking surprising images or videos through reputable news sources or known official channels. IC3 PSA I-072026, July 20, 2026.
- Report suspected fraud through official channels. If you sent money, shared credentials or provided sensitive information, contact the relevant financial institution or service promptly and report the incident to the FBI or IC3 through their official websites. Do not rely on links in the suspicious message.
What is known about scale
The cited FBI and ODNI statements establish that synthetic content is a recognized risk and describe ways it can be used. They do not provide a reliable prevalence figure for deepfakes overall or a count that would show how often Russia- or China-linked deepfakes reach the public. A specific warning or impersonation case is evidence of that threat, not a measure of its frequency.
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