Deepfake videos appear to target Canadian immigrants for thousands of dollars

Artificially generated videos of a Toronto-based lawyer asking for money appear to be just one way some try to exploit newcomers to Canada during a time of confusion around new immigration rules.

Two videos sent to immigration lawyer Max Chaudhary appear to be him directly addressing an individual on a first-name basis and even naming his fiance. The problem is that what he’s watching is actually a deepfake video created by artificial intelligence (AI).

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“This is really jarring because you like to have a sense of who you are, but it’s being commandeered for illegal purposes,” said Chaudhary in an interview with CTV News Saturday.

Chaudhary found out about the videos after someone called his law firm’s office asking when he could send Chaudhary the $7,000 they had been discussing over Whatsapp, but the …