Deepfakes Make Video Calls Dangerous—On-Device Detection Is The Answer

InnovationScienceDeepfakes Make Video Calls Dangerous—On-Device Detection Is The AnswerByLars Daniel,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Digital forensics, AI, deepfakes, and what becomes proof in court.Follow AuthorJun 02, 2026, 11:12am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Video calls have been compromised by deepfakes.AFP via Getty ImagesFor years, the video call solved a basic trust problem. If an email looked suspicious, a person could get on camera and confirm the request. In business, family disputes, online dating, remote work and even legal settings, seeing and hearing someone became a practical shortcut for believing them.Deepfakes are breaking that shortcut. The old assumption that seeing someone on screen is enough is no longer safe. I have written before about why seeing is believing is dead for visual evidence. Live video calls bring that same problem into the moment when people are making decisions.The Arup case shows the problem. In its 2024 financial statement, Arup said criminals used “fake voice, signatures and images” to execute a fraud, while also stating that its networks were not compromised and that no personal or project information was accessed. Arup’s financial statement described the incident as a social engineering-led attack, not a traditional network breach.If the video call was the step used to reassure the target, then video itself was not the solution. It was part of the delivery mechanism.After-the-fact digital forensics can help reconstruct what happened, preserve evidence, test files, analyze devices and support litigation. But a digital forensic report does not pull back a wire transfer, unsay a disclosure or undo a false admission made during a live call. Further, in a digital forensic examination, an examiner may have the original file, metadata, device history, and surrounding evidence. In a live-c...