Stories of scams are rampant.

Digital fraudsters are scamming unsuspecting victims in constantly evolving formats. Texts, calls… dating apps, nowhere is safe! And many residents are concerned about becoming the victim of fraud. Are you able to sniff out a scammer?

Well, what if fraud had a face?

HSBC is a global bank taking an active role in the fight against fraud, and so they have highlighted the many ways in which you can be scammed, what to look out for, and finally, how to recognise the face of fraud.

Using ‘digital humans’ and voice recordings of actual fraudsters, you’ll get the lowdown on dirty scamming tactics from the scammers themselves. The programme aims to educate you about clever scammer schemes, so you’ll understand how scammers operate and you’ll be better equipped to avoid becoming the victim of a scam in the future.

Introducing ‘The Faces of Fraud’

HSBC is driving awareness of the evolution of fraud and together with Carnegie Mellon University, they used AI to educate customers on how to spot fraud and what to do to protect themselves against it.

How did they do it?

They pumped voice recordings made by actual fraudsters into a ‘voice to face’ AI that can predict facial features based on someone’s voice. Is this an episode of Sherlock?!

Not only that, the technology listens to the fraudster’s unique voice pattern, and from there, it can deduct essential info, such as the person’s gender, ethnicity, and weight – even the shape of their jaw and the size of their nose… Incredible.

Each fraudster’s face was developed by technology and they’re now ‘the stars’ of HSBC’s digital human initiative which is helping you stay safe online.

The ‘fraudsters’ share their tactics through a series of video tutorials

From scams on dating apps, via text, or on the phone, the video tutorials will arm watchers with the knowledge to better protect themselves against fraud.

“We are the faces of fraud. We can fake anyone or anything. Get to know us and learn our tricks. So you’ll be ready when we come calling.”

Keep your eyes peeled

Meet the Faces of Fraud launched this week during International Fraud Week. Visit www.hsbc.ae/help/stay-safe-online to find out more and learn how you can protect yourself against fraudsters.