London-based engineering company Arup, known for its work on iconic projects like Apple Park, recently fell victim to a deepfake scam, losing a staggering $25 million in what is being called one of the world’s biggest known deepfake scams.
According to a report by the Financial Times, fraudsters used a digitally cloned version of Arup’s CFO and other staff members to order financial transfers during a video conference, resulting in the loss of HK$200 million. The incident was revealed by Hong Kong police in February, although the name of the victim company was not initially disclosed.
Arup, which employs around 18,000 people globally and has annual revenues of more than GBP 2 billion, confirmed to the Financial Times that they were the target of the deepfake scam. The company stated that fake voices and images were used in the scam, but their financial stability and business operations were not affected, and none of their internal systems were compromised.
The scam involved the digitally cloned CFO and other fake company employees joining a video call with a staff member, instructing them to make 15 transfers to five Hong Kong bank accounts. The staff member later realized they had been scammed after contacting the company’s headquarters.
Arup Group has worked on prestigious projects like Apple Park, HSBC Building in Hong Kong, Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort in Singapore, and Sydney Opera House. The company has declined to provide further details on the ongoing investigation into the deepfake scam.