The Next Wave of Cybercrime: Deepfakes, AI-Generated Ransomware, and Synthetic Identities
- Gold Comet
- Oct 23
- 4 min read
The cybercrime landscape is evolving faster than ever. Traditional threats like phishing and brute-force attacks remain prevalent, but there’s a new wave of attacks powered by artificial intelligence, deepfakes, and synthetic identities emerging.
These threats go beyond exploiting technic
al vulnerabilities. Now they are targeting human trust and the systems organizations rely on for remote collaboration and digital business.
In this post, we explore three of the most recent and dangerous forms of cybercrime: AI-Powered Deepfake Fraud, AI-Generated Ransomware, and Synthetic Identity Fraud. Each example highlights why your enterprise should reexamine your cybersecurity protocols, especially when protecting sensitive data, communications, and collaborating in hybrid environments.
1. AI-Powered Cybercrime – Deepfake Fraud: Weaponized Trust
The incident:
In March 2024, a Hong Kong-based multinational corporation was tricked into transferring $25 million after attackers used deepfake video conferencing to impersonate the company’s CFO. Employees joined what appeared to be a routine call with senior executives authorizing the transfer. But the entire “meeting” was an illusion. The attackers used AI to mimic voices, facial expressions, and gestures. And because the technology was so convincing, no one questioned the legitimacy until it was too late.
Why it matters:
Deepfake-powered fraud is especially dangerous because it bypasses traditional safeguards like email filters or domain verification. Instead, it exploits the human instinct to trust familiar faces and voices. For organizations that rely heavily on remote collaboration platforms, the risk is amplified: business discussions and decisions, approvals, and financial transactions increasingly occur over video calls.
Takeaway:
Every meeting, message, or request must be verified with secure protocols. Without proper safeguards, the next “executive order” could be coming from an AI impostor.
2. AI-Generated Ransomware: Attacks That Adapt in Real Time
The incident:
In late 2024, researchers uncovered a new ransomware variant dubbed BlackMamba, which leveraged generative AI to rewrite its own code with each execution. Unlike traditional
ransomware, which can often be detected by signature-based tools, BlackMamba adapted dynamically, making it nearly impossible to catch using conventional defenses.
Healthcare organizations were among the early victims. Patient records were encrypted, operations were halted, and ransom demands followed. In many cases, attackers threatened not just to keep data locked, but to publish sensitive information online if payments were not made.
Why it matters:
AI lowers the barrier to entry for cybercriminals. What once required technical expertise can now be automated. What’s worse is that those automations can be purchased on the dark web, a thriving new cybercrime enterprise. “Ransomware-as-a-Service” models allow even inexperienced criminals to rent advanced tools and launch devastating attacks. The adaptive nature of AI-generated ransomware makes it particularly threatening. Their structure evolves faster than most defenses can respond.
Takeaway:
Static defenses like anti-virus software are no longer enough. Your enterprise must invest in behavioral monitoring, AI-driven detection, and Zero Trust architectures to protect your collaboration tools and sensitive data from predatory ransomware campaigns.
3. The Cybercrime of Synthetic Identity Fraud: Fake People, Real Damage
The incident:
In early 2025, U.S. regulators warned banks about a surge in synthetic identity fraud driven by deepfake-enabled Know Your Customer (KYC) submissions. Attackers created entirely fabricated personas using AI-generated IDs, voice clones, and facial recognition responses convincing enough to bypass onboarding checks.
One regional bank reported millions in losses after fraudulent accounts secured loans and credit lines. When repayment was due, the “customers” vanished, because they never existed in the first place. Unlike classic identity theft, there are no real victims to alert authorities or block suspicious activity. This makes synthetic identity fraud harder to detect and trace.
Why it matters:
Synthetic identities pose risks far beyond banking. Any system that relies on digital identity verification, whether for secure collaboration, remote access, or file sharing, can be tricked. (Well, not those protected by Gold Comet. We’ll explain.) For most, this means cybercriminals can infiltrate corporate networks, pose as contractors, or access sensitive projects using entirely fabricated digital personas.
Takeaway:
Identity verification can no longer rely on surface-level checks. Advanced authentication methods, layered access controls, and secure platforms are critical to preventing synthetic identities from slipping through.
The Bigger Picture: Securing Collaboration in a Zero Trust World
These incidents point to a critical shift: cybercrime is moving from technical exploits to trust exploits. Deepfakes undermine the trust in human interaction. AI ransomware undermines trust in data integrity. Synthetic identities undermine trust in digital identity itself.
For organizations operating in a hybrid or remote environment, the challenge is clear: how do you enable seamless collaboration while ensuring security?
The answer lies in adopting a Zero Trust approach across collaboration, storage, and messaging:
Verify every interaction: Assume no person, file, or request is trustworthy until verified.
Secure collaboration platforms: Use tools that enforce strict authentication, encryption, and controlled file sharing.
Protect sensitive data: Store and share files only in encrypted, access-controlled environments.
Educate employees: Train staff to spot unusual requests, potential deepfakes, and phishing attempts.
Monitor continuously: Use advanced analytics to flag anomalies in login attempts, file access, and meeting participation.
The rise of deepfake fraud, AI-generated ransomware, and synthetic identity crime signals a new era of cyber threats, one where human trust itself has become the attack surface.
Organizations that continue to rely on unsecured collaboration tools or weak identity controls risk becoming the next headline. By investing in secure data storage, protected collaboration, and Zero Trust messaging solutions, your enterprise can defend not only your networks but also the valuable asset of trust.
At Gold Comet, we believe collaboration should empower innovation, not create vulnerabilities. Our secure platform is built to withstand modern cyber threats, ensuring your data, communications, and partnerships remain safe, even in the face of today’s most sophisticated attacks. A deepfake or synthetic identity has no portal of entry into our secure cloud environment. All operations take place within the cloud, and to get there means advancing through an MFA interface and role-based (whitelist) access control process.
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