Experts have analyzed several darknet forums – both Russian-speaking and international – for advertisements offering services for creating deepfake videos. Reports suggest that the cost of creating one minute of such a video can reach up to 20,000 US dollars.
Researchers point out that deepfakes can be created for a variety of purposes, including scams, political manipulation, revenge, and cyberbullying. Creating truly convincing fakes requires technical expertise and state-of-the-art software.
The company noted that the demand for related services and tools on the dark web far exceeds the supply. Prices for creating or buying deepfakes can vary depending on the complexity of the project and the quality of the final product.
Many of the ads studied offer services for creating deepfakes for cryptocurrency scams. These are known as cryptostreams or fake cryptocurrency raffles. This is a popular scheme in which attackers encourage viewers to transfer cryptocurrency to them. Fraudsters use fake celebrity videos or link old recordings to start live streaming on social media platforms, and usually promise to double the payment sent to them.
In addition, dark web sellers offer services for creating pornographic videos, and some develop instructions for generating such videos. Unfortunately, such deepfakes can also be used for harassment and blackmail.
