Another Dark Side of AI Deepfakes: The Rise of Video ‘Model’ Jobs Powering Online Scams
Cybercriminals around the world are recruiting models for AI-powered deepfake video chats, linked to multibillion-dollar criminal scams.
A disturbing new trend is emerging at the intersection of artificial intelligence and organized crime — and it's gaining momentum fast.
Over the past year, criminal networks have quietly begun recruiting so-called "AI face models" — people hired to conduct video calls while wearing someone else's face, courtesy of deepfake technology. Their mission? To defraud unsuspecting victims out of their money, often through elaborate schemes built on manufactured trust.
How the Scam Works
The recruitment happens largely on Telegram, where dozens of channels have sprung up seeking applicants — many of them young women — for these roles. The job description sounds almost mundane: send messages, share photos, make calls. But the reality is far more sinister.
Workers are tasked with "pig-butchering" — an increasingly common fraud where scammers build long-term relationships with victims before persuading them to hand over money, often through fake crypto investments or gold trading schemes. The name comes from the practice of fattening a pig before slaughter. It's as calculated as it sounds.
The Human Cost
Behind the polished recruitment posts are often brutal working conditions. Some operations — which can be worth billions — confiscate workers' passports, enforce 12-hour days, and demand up to 100 video calls daily. Many workers are trafficked into these roles against their will, facing violence and harassment with little recourse.
The Financial Scale Is Staggering
The numbers tell a sobering story. The Consumer Federation of America estimates Americans lose roughly $119 billion to scams annually, while the FBI put 2024 losses at $16.6 billion — a figure widely considered an undercount, since many victims never come forward out of shame.
U.S. authorities have begun striking back. Earlier this year, prosecutors seized $61 billion worth of Tether cryptocurrency tied to pig-butchering operations. Last October, a $15 billion bitcoin seizure targeted a Cambodian criminal conglomerate linked to extortion, trafficking, and fraud on a massive scale.
What Needs to Change
Platforms like Telegram and Meta's family of apps — Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp — remain the primary hunting grounds for these scammers, and critics say both companies need to do far more. Broader systemic fixes are also on the table, from tighter regulation of generative AI to stronger consumer protection enforcement.
As deepfake technology becomes cheaper and more accessible, the line between a legitimate video call and a carefully constructed illusion is only going to get harder to spot. Awareness — and urgency — have never been more important.