Yahoo Boys cyber scammers use deepfake technology when they video call their potential victims. They abuse trust, extort money and post these videos on Telegram channels and other social networks to show off their “successes”. Wired magazine described how they do it.
Yahoo Boys are the name given to young Nigerian scammers because many of their scams targeted Yahoo users. They have no leader or management structure, but they form groups and share tips and tricks online.
For two years, criminals experimented with fake videos: changing their appearance and sending to victims to establish a connection. But last year they went further — to fake video calls.
They use several different programs to change their face in real time. Journalists do not name them so that others do not do so. But note: they are actively advertised for entertainment: for example, to swap faces with a star.
Yahoo Boys use two methods to start a video call. The first: using two phones and a face changer. One swindler holds a phone from which they contact a person. His camera is aimed at another phone that has a face-changing app installed. Phones are often placed on stands to make things work well.
The second way is to replace the phone with deepfake software with a laptop. Fraudsters see their own face next to the altered fake one, and only the manipulated image is displayed during a live video call.
To gain trust, criminals often compliment people or confess their love. Victims share their personal experiences, talk about their eating disorders or depression. And then fraudsters come up with stories thanks to which they can cheat money. According to the FBI, more than $650 million was lost in the U.S. last year to romance scams.
Yahoo Boys openly flaunt their “successes” on social networks, videos of their scams can be found on Facebook or TikTok, but they are the most frank on Telegram. The publication contacted the messenger's company for comments. Telegram did not respond, but removed the channels of the fraudsters.
Wired writes that artificial intelligence facilitates fraud. Yes, some Yahoo Boys videos have an obviously unrealistic look. They don't lip sync or other flaws are visible. However, some of them are quite plausible, taking into account live viewing from the phone, unstable connection or establishing connections with the victim before the call.
SocialProof Security CEO Rachel Toback, who reviewed a selection of Yahoo Boy videos, highlighted the development of deepfake technology.
“When I watched these videos last year, they were not very convincing. A lot has changed this year. Especially those where they can change the pitch of their voice and facial expression. Sometimes the shade of the skin, hair, eye color, everything is selected for themselves. It's pretty wild,” Rachel Toback said.
The Yahoo Boys probably don't develop their own software, but they do have the skills for these scams. And since they've got them, they're going to use them for more than just love scams, said Ronnie Tokazowski, head of fraud at Intelligence for Good.
Yahoo Boys sell their photo and video editing skills, as well as entire albums of candid photos that can be used to create a convincing image. Fake IDs and social media profiles that look legitimate are being sold. And cheat schemes can be downloaded for free.