Russian Interior Ministry Reports 18 Deepfake Fraud Cases Since 2025

MOSCOW, September 25. /TASS/. Eighteen fraud cases involving the use of deepfakes were reported in Russia over the 18-month period starting in 2025, and this is a relatively small number compared to the overall figure, a senior Russian Interior Ministry official told TASS.

"In 2025 overall and the first half of 2026, the number of registered fraud cases (under Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) committed with the use of voice conversion and image-shaping technologies [deepfakes] stood at 18 out of 478,831 [in total]," Sergey Kalinin, a deputy head of the Russian Interior Ministry’s Department on the Fight Against Information and Communication Technologies Crimes, said.

Kalinin added that the number of reported fraud cases involving deepfakes is insignificant compared with the overall figure of registered fraud cases during this period.

However, Kalinin pointed out that it is common for scammers to use generative models to create believable audiovisual content (deepfakes), which allows them to impersonate victims’ relatives, bank employees, representatives of government agencies or public figures.

"By using synthesized voices or video recordings, scammers can coerce their victims into financial transfers or disclosing personal data," he told TASS on the sidelines of the ‘Dialogue about Fakes 4.0’ international forum.

The Dialogue about Fakes 4.0 forum is a global platform for discussing methods to combat disinformation and developing fact-checking technologies. The event was held at the Russia National Center on September 22 with the participation of over 2,000 journalists, experts and businesspeople from 80 countries.

It was organized by the Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN), established in 2025 by the TASS news agency, the autonomous nonprofit organization "Dialogue Regions," and the New Media Workshop. TASS was the forum’s strategic media partner.