FinCEN issues alert on fraud schemes involving deepfake media targeting financial institutions

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued an alert to help financial institutions identify fraud schemes associated with the use of deepfake media created with generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools. The alert explains typologies associated with these schemes, provides red flag indicators to assist with identifying and reporting related suspicious activity, and reminds financial institutions of their reporting requirements under the Bank Secrecy Act.

“While GenAI holds tremendous potential as a new technology, bad actors are seeking to exploit it to defraud American businesses and consumers, to include financial institutions and their customers,” said Director Andrea Gacki. “Vigilance by financial institutions to the use of deepfakes, and reporting of related suspicious activity, will help safeguard the U.S. financial system and protect innocent Americans from the abuse of these tools.”

FinCEN has observed an increase in suspicious activity reporting by financial institutions describing the suspected use of deepfake media, particularly the use of fraudulent identity documents to circumvent identity verification and authentication methods. The abuse of GenAI tools contributes to cybercrime and fraud, two of FinCEN’s Anti-Money Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism National Priorities.

This alert is part of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s broader effort to provide financial institutions with information on the opportunities and challenges that may arise from the use of artificial intelligence.