How do I understand what you are looking at?

Before watching a video or looking at a photo with skepticism, ask yourself: does this seem designed to make me emotional, alarmed, or eager to act? Deepfakes are almost always attached to a message that pushes you to feel something — urgency, excitement, fear, or anger. That emotional pressure is often the first sign something may not be right.

How do I watch the face carefully?

Focus on the person's face. Watch how they blink — does it look natural? Watch their mouth as they speak — do the lips match the words? Look at the edges of the face where it meets the hair and ears. In a deepfake, these edges may look slightly blurry, shimmery, or inconsistent, especially when the person moves their head.

How do I check the background and lighting?

Look at what is behind the person. Does the background look normal and stable, or does it seem to ripple, repeat, or warp when the person moves? Also notice the lighting — does the light on the person's face match the light in the background? Mismatched lighting is a common sign that a face was placed into a scene it was not originally filmed in.

How do I search for the original source?

Copy a phrase or quote from the video and search for it in Google News (news.google.com). If a real news event is being shown, credible news outlets will have reported on it. If the search returns nothing from known organizations, or returns results that say the story is false, that is a strong signal the video may be fake. For photos, right-click the image on your computer and choose "Search image" to do a reverse image search.

How do I be especially cautious about money requests?

If a video, voice message, or phone call shows or sounds like a family member in trouble and asks you for money — especially gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency — stop and verify before doing anything. Hang up or close the message. Call that family member directly using a phone number you already have saved in your phone. Scammers count on you acting fast without checking.

How do I report what you find and do not share unverified content?

If you believe you have seen a deepfake scam, report it to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. If it appeared on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or another platform, use the platform's "Report" button to flag the content — look for the three dots next to a post and tap "Report." Most importantly, do not forward or share content you cannot verify. Sharing unverified content — even to warn others — helps it reach more people.

How to Recognize Deepfake Videos and Photos — Step-by-Step Guide

A deepfake is a photo or video that was made or altered by artificial intelligence (AI) — computer software — to show a real person saying or doing something they never actually said or did. The technology can take someone's face and voice and place them into a completely fabricated scene.

Deepfakes are not new movies or TV effects. They can be created quickly, cheaply, and by almost anyone with a smartphone or laptop. And they are increasingly being used to trick people.

How scammers use deepfakes

The most common uses of deepfakes in scams include:

**Fake celebrity endorsements.** A video appears to show a famous person — a TV doctor, a news anchor, a business leader — recommending an investment, a supplement, or a product. The celebrity never said any of it. The goal is to make you trust the product and buy it, often at high prices or as part of a subscription that is hard to cancel.

**Fake family emergency videos.** Scammers can clone the voice of a family member using just a short audio sample taken from a social media video. They call or send a video message pretending to be your grandchild, child, or other relative — claiming to be in jail, in a hospital, or in an accident — and asking for money right away. This is sometimes called a "grandparent scam."

**Fake news clips.** Doctored videos make it look as if a politician, official, or journalist said something extreme or false. These spread on social media and are designed to anger you or change your beliefs.

**Romance scams.** A fraudster creates a fake identity using AI-generated photos and videos of an attractive person who does not exist, then builds a relationship with the victim online before asking for money.

Why deepfakes are hard to spot

The technology has improved dramatically. A few years ago, deepfakes were easy to spot. Today, the best ones can fool even careful observers. That is why it is important to look beyond the visual and ask: does this make sense? Where did this come from? Is there a real source?

Six warning signs to look for

1**Unnatural blinking or eye movement.** Early deepfakes almost never blinked. Newer ones blink, but the pattern can still look wrong — blinks that happen too fast, too slow, or not at all for long stretches.

1**Mouth movement that does not match the words.** Watch the lips closely. In a deepfake, the lip movements may be slightly off — like watching a foreign film where the audio is out of sync. Consonants like B, M, and P require specific lip shapes that AI sometimes gets wrong.

1**Blurry or melting edges around the face.** Look at where the face meets the hairline, the ears, or the collar. In deepfakes, the edge of the face sometimes appears soft, blurry, or inconsistent — especially when the person turns their head.

1**Strange or repeating backgrounds.** AI-generated backgrounds can loop, ripple, or show objects that look slightly warped. Windows, doorways, and bookshelves behind a person may shift or repeat unnaturally.

1**Skin and hair that look too smooth or too perfect.** Real people have pores, fine lines, and hair that moves naturally. AI-generated faces often look unusually smooth or have hair that sits strangely — especially at the edges.

1**The content is too good to be true or designed to make you act fast.** This is not a visual sign. But it is often the most reliable one. A famous doctor endorsing a miracle cure, a celebrity giving away money, or a family member urgently needing cash — these stories are designed to bypass your judgment and push you to act before you think.

How to verify suspicious videos before sharing

**Search for it.** Take a phrase from the video and search for it in Google or another search engine. If the video is real news, multiple legitimate news outlets will have covered it.
**Check the source.** Who posted the original video? Is it an official account (a verified news organization, a known public figure's account) or an anonymous page?
**Use a reverse image search.** For photos, right-click the image (on a computer) and choose "Search image" or "Find image source." Google Images and TinEye (tineye.com) can show you where a photo has appeared online before.
**Look for fact-checking sites.** Snopes.com, FactCheck.org, and PolitiFact.com investigate viral claims and misleading content.
**When in doubt, do not share.** Sharing a deepfake — even with a comment asking if it is real — helps it spread. If you cannot verify it, hold off.

What to do if you encounter a deepfake scam

If you receive a video, call, or message that you believe is a deepfake scam, do not send money and do not click any links. If the "family member" calling sounds like someone you know, hang up and call that person directly using a number you already have saved.

Report deepfake scams to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. If it involves a fake celebrity endorsement on social media, report it to the platform directly.

Sources: FTC Consumer Information (consumer.ftc.gov), CISA.gov, AARP Fraud Resource Center (aarp.org/money/scams-fraud), How-To Geek (howtogeek.com).

How to Recognize Deepfake Videos and Photos

Understand what you are looking at

Watch the face carefully

Check the background and lighting

Search for the original source

Be especially cautious about money requests

Report what you find and do not share unverified content

How scammers use deepfakes

Why deepfakes are hard to spot

Six warning signs to look for

How to verify suspicious videos before sharing

What to do if you encounter a deepfake scam

Official Resources

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