Deepfake and AI Scams #FraudFree2026

Deepfake and AI Scams #FraudFree2026

Good afternoon,

Technology continues to develop at speed and there are many examples of how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to assist us in our work, home, and in education.  However, even if you’re not on social media, even if you never go on the internet – these evolving technologies can still be used, by criminals, to defraud you. 

Friends Against Scams (National Trading Standards) and the Deep Truth Project have put together a factsheet – kindly shared with us by your local Trading Standards office - to help us all understand how deepfake and AI are being used in fraud/scams, and importantly, how we can all protect ourselves from fraud involving AI and deepfakes.

Please do share this important update with friends and family and encourage them to sign up for their own Hampshire Alert: https://www.hampshirealert.co.uk/ link to the 

Hampshire Alerts is not a crime reporting portal – please do not report crime here.

If you realise you’ve been defrauded and wish to report a fraud that has already happened, please report it to Report Fraud either by phone 0300 123 2040 or online at: https://www.reportfraud.police.uk/ 

However, if a fraud or other crime is in progress, and/or you are in fear for yourself or someone else, and/or there is evidence in situ that could be damaged/destroyed, please phone 999 immediately. 

Otherwise, report non-fraud crime online, or find out about other ways to report a crime at: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/

If you would like to report a crime anonymously, please contact: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/ or phone 0800 555 111

If you've been affected by a crime please contact Victim Care Hub for free, confidential, support:  https://www.hampshireiowvictimcare.co.uk/  or phone 0808 178 1641

If you’ve received a phishing email please report it to your email provider and/or forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk 

If you’ve received unwanted phone calls or texts from people you think are trying to scam you, but you haven’t engaged with them, please forward the text/phone number to 7726 or your phone provider.

Thank you – Fraud Safeguarding Team