Until now, if you saw a video of someone saying something or heard your mother's voice on the phone, you knew it was real. In 2026, that certainty has disappeared. Deepfake technology has evolved so much that anyone can be digitally "cloned" with just a few seconds of audio or video recording.
At Altanet Craiova we receive more and more questions about strange phone calls or fake videos. It is vital to understand that your eyes and ears can be fooled by Artificial Intelligence.
What is Deepfake and how did it become a weapon?
The term comes from "Deep Learning" and "Fake". In practice, AI software studies a person's face and voice (from photos on Facebook or videos on YouTube) and learns to imitate them perfectly.
The result? A video in which you seem to say things you never said, or a voice identical to yours calling the bank to ask for a loan. This is no longer about Hollywood special effects that cost millions, but about applications that hackers run on an ordinary laptop.
The "Boss" attack: Vishing with a cloned voice
The most dangerous form of attack for companies is "CEO Fraud" by voice. The scenario goes like this:
- The accountant receives a phone call.
- On the other end is the director's voice (identical, with the same tone and accent): "Hi, I'm in a meeting, please make an urgent payment to the new supplier, I'll send you the account on WhatsApp. It's very urgent."
- The accountant, recognising the boss's voice, makes the payment immediately.
- The money is gone. The real director never called.
How do you tell a fake from reality?
Although the technology is advanced, it still leaves traces ("glitches"). Here is what to watch for:
- Unnatural blinking: In Deepfake video calls, the cloned person blinks rarely or not at all, or the eye movements are jerky.
- Lip sync: Sometimes the sound arrives a fraction of a second before the lip movement, as in badly dubbed films.
- Verifying through another channel (the Golden Rule): If you receive an urgent call asking you for money or data, hang up and call the person back on the number you have in your contacts. Or send a confirmation SMS. Hackers cannot intercept both channels at the same time.
To learn more about how to protect yourself and recognise the subtle signs of a forgery, you can consult the guide from Kaspersky about detecting Deepfakes.
Conclusion
In the AI era, "seeing" no longer means "believing". Scepticism is your new shield. Agree with your family and colleagues on a "safe word" to use in real emergencies, to confirm that it is really you.
Are you worried about the security of communications in your company? Our team can implement verification solutions and security protocols. See our list of IT services and visit the contact page to protect yourself from impostors.
This material is part of the Altanet educational series on digital safety. Want to know what other risks you are exposed to this year? See the Complete list of cyber threats in 2026.