Table of Contents

Near-Term AI Dangers: How to Stay Safe from Deepfakes, Data Theft, and Digital Identity Scams

AI is evolving fast—and so are scams. Learn how deepfakes, voice cloning, and identity theft are accelerating online, plus practical steps to protect yourself.

Artificial Intelligence is changing how we work, connect, and consume information. What used to require expert CGI skills can now be generated with a few prompts. That power is double-edged: it enables creativity, but it also lowers the barrier for fraudsters to mimic your face, voice, and behavior. In this guide, you’ll learn the most likely near-term risks—and how to respond with simple, effective defenses.

Why the “near future” of AI matters now

AI’s public boom only started a few years ago, yet today anyone can produce convincing fake videos and audio in minutes. The result? A looming digital identity crisis. We’ll soon struggle to tell who’s real on the internet. That confusion isn’t just annoying—it’s exploitable for bank fraud, account takeovers, and targeted extortion.

The threat landscape at a glance

1) Deepfakes that look “good enough” to fool you

Face-swap videos and lip-synced speeches no longer require studio budgets. Scammers can scrape a few selfies and public clips, then generate a live deepfake that speaks in your style. Expect misuse in livestreams, video calls, and “verification” clips designed to pressure you into urgent actions.

2) Voice cloning from short clips

With a few seconds of audio—often pulled from Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube—attackers can clone the voice of your child, parent, or boss and call you requesting money or sensitive data. The emotional manipulation is the point: panic short-circuits rational checks.

3) AI-assisted hacking for everyone

Tools that help beginners code also help criminals automate phishing kits, botnets, and credential stuffing. The number of “casual attackers” rises as AI makes technical barriers fall.

4) AI-generated explicit images and reputational attacks

Bad actors can graft a person’s face onto NSFW photos or videos, then spread them for blackmail or harassment. This harms mental health and careers—especially for women and minors.

5) Financial fraud by exploiting weak identity checks

When banks or fintechs rely on easily forged data points—names, emails, selfies, or leaked ID scans—AI makes it trivial to open accounts, intercept alerts, and move money.

How misinformation will scale

AI lowers the cost of producing persuasive lies. Expect floods of fake clips that nudge opinions, inflame groups, or sway votes. What’s new isn’t manipulation—it’s the speed and scale. As more people see “plausible” fakes, public trust erodes and fact-checking lags.

Big insight: In an AI-saturated feed, epistemic security—how we know what’s true—matters as much as cybersecurity.

What might fix identity online?

One proposed path is cryptographic identity: systems that let platforms verify “a real human did this” without exposing private details. Some projects even explore biometric proofs or blockchain-anchored attestations. These ideas are controversial, technically complex, and years away from broad adoption.

Practical defenses you can apply today

Personal security habits

• Segment your identity: Use different emails for finance, work, and sign-ups.
• Lock down public media: Limit who can see your videos/voice clips.
• Use strong, unique passwords: Pair with hardware keys or 2FA apps.
• Adopt a “call-back password” for family: Agree on a secret phrase.
• Slow down “urgent” requests: Verify by calling back via a known number.
• Harden devices on public Wi-Fi: Use a VPN and keep software updated.

Social media & data hygiene

• Minimize oversharing: Avoid posting birthdays, addresses, or ID numbers.
• Watermark sensitive media: Helps prove authenticity later.
• Restrict who can download your content: Adjust privacy settings.
• Monitor your name and images: Set up alerts and act quickly on fakes.

Banking & payments

• Enable transaction alerts: Real-time push notifications.
• Prefer banks with strong identity checks: Look for risk-based authentication.
• Freeze new credit when not needed: Reduces fraudulent account openings.

Workplace safeguards

• Two-person verification for payments: No transfer without secondary approval.
• Run deepfake drills: Prepare staff for scams.
• Tag internal media with provenance: Versioned storage helps prove originals.

How to spot a likely deepfake (fast checklist)

• Lip-sync glitches or unnatural teeth/tongue movement.
• Ear & jewelry artifacts when head turns.
• Lighting mismatch between face and neck.
• Audio uncanny valley: Prosody slightly off or missing breaths.
• Urgency requests: Gift cards, crypto, or money transfers.

Build a personal “verification protocol”

1. Identity checks: Call-back phrase, gesture, and alternate channel.
2. Financial rules: Payment caps and cooling-off period.
3. Evidence capture: Save screenshots and logs securely.
4. Escalation path: Who to notify at bank or law enforcement.

Mindset: skeptical, not cynical

Healthy skepticism protects you; blanket cynicism paralyzes you. Verify first, then decide. In an internet full of AI-generated noise, your ability to pause, check, and confirm is a competitive advantage.

Key takeaways

• AI will make fakes faster—treat identity as something to prove.
• Simple playbooks—secret phrases, call-backs—defeat urgent scams.
• Reduce public data that attackers can weaponize.
• Expect stronger verification systems to emerge; until then, you are the first line of defense.

Further learning

See also: How to Verify Content in the Age of AI.

Conclusion

We’re entering a new phase of the internet where trust must be demonstrated, not assumed. Start small: create a verification phrase with family, split your email identities, and enable stronger authentication everywhere. Share this article with someone who posts a lot of personal media and set up your verification protocol together. The best time to prepare was yesterday; the second-best time is now.

Label: Technology and AI

References

• Bahaya AI Dalam Waktu Dekat (Jangan Jadi Korban) — Josh Gulto — Original video.