Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Deepfake Scams Surge 17x: Protect Your Data!

10/18/2025

43 9 Full Breakdown

Center

Long Warns Deepfake Scams

Cybersecurity expert Brian Long warns that deepfake scams are rising.
Deepfake attacks surged 17 times from 2023 to 2024, totaling over 100,000 incidents in 2024.
Scammers exploit personal information to deceive victims into sending money or sharing sensitive data.
In a related case, a Fort Myers man became a scam victim, providing bank information under false pretenses.
Local law enforcement warns against such scams and urges vigilance.

Right

DHS Tackles Smishing Scams

The Department of Homeland Security says Chinese criminal groups have generated $1 billion from scam texts targeting Americans.
These messages often claim unpaid tolls or fees and trick users into providing credit card data.
Smishing is rising in the United States, with 330,000 toll-scam messages in a single day last month.
At least 200 SIM farms operate across the United States, employing 'mules' to make purchases with stolen card data.

1 of 2

Long Warns Deepfake Scams

Cybersecurity expert Brian Long warns that deepfake scams are rising.
Deepfake attacks surged 17 times from 2023 to 2024, totaling over 100,000 incidents in 2024.
Scammers exploit personal information to deceive victims into sending money or sharing sensitive data.
In a related case, a Fort Myers man became a scam victim, providing bank information under false pretenses.
Local law enforcement warns against such scams and urges vigilance.

1 / 2