Artificial intelligence–powered deepfakes are now at the core of increasingly sophisticated online love scams, erasing many of the warning signs Filipinos once relied on to detect fraud, according to the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC).
“So ang nakita natin ngayon ay maling paggamit ng AI pagdating sa love scam, kung saan ginagamit na ito hindi lang para sa pictures kundi pati sa videos at maging sa mismong pakikipag-usap sa mga biktima,” CICC Undersecretary Renato “Aboy” Paraiso said during the DZRH News program “Special on Saturday” on February 7.
Paraiso said scammers have shifted from basic fake profiles to advanced, real-time impersonation that allows them to convincingly pose as romantic partners.
“Ang nakakatakot nga dun sa deepfakes na ’yun, real-time na eh, so dati sinasabi natin para malaman mo kung nai-scam ka ay mag-video call ka, ngayon hindi na ubra,” Paraiso said.
He explained that even live video calls can now be manipulated using AI-powered filters that alter appearance and voice simultaneously.
“Kahit mag-video call ka dahil ginagamitan ng AI, ng deepfake, real-time na rin ho ’yung filters na ’to na kahit ’yung mga lalaki nagagawa nilang babae at napapaboses nilang babae in real time ho on video calls,” he said.
Paraiso added that AI is also being used behind the scenes to profile potential victims based on their online behavior and personal information.
“’Yung AI ho ginagamit para i-profile ho ’yung mga biktima, kaya isa sa mga red flags ’yan sa sarili pag halimbawa kilalang-kilala ka na at alam na alam nung kausap mo ’yung mga impormasyon mo at tsaka ’yung mga gusto mo kahit ngayon mo lang siya nakausap,” he said.
He warned that this combination of emotional manipulation and technological sophistication makes modern love scams especially difficult to resist.
“Kahit napaka-tech savvy mo eh minsan talaga kinokontra mo na ’yung sarili mo, na kahit alam mo na scam, hindi ka pa rin naniniwala dahil the heart leads the way rather than kung ano ’yung sinasabi ng utak mo,” Paraiso said.
