AI Videos Are Getting Scary Good. Here’s How Not to Get Played

 

AI Videos Are Getting Scary Good. Here’s How Not to Get Played

Why This Matters to You (Yes, YOU):

Whether you’re:

1. A business owner transferring money after a "video call" from your "partner"

2. A job seeker trusting a flashy company intro video

3. Just sharing that wild "news clip" on family WhatsApp…

…you’re a target. AI video isn’t coming – it’s here. And Nigeria? We’re prime hunting ground. Fast internet, sharp scams, and too much trust in "seeing is believing." Time to change that.

How to Spot an AI-Generated Video Before It Spots You

If you’ve seen those smooth, "shot-on-location" videos of politicians giving speeches they never made, or your "aunty" online suddenly selling miracle cures with a Hollywood-level ad – stop. New tools like Veo-2 and 3 can now cook up video so real, it’ll make you doubt your own eyes. As an IT security guy sweating in this Lagos heat, I’m telling you: the scammers are upgrading their game. But don’t panic – upgrade YOURS.

Let me be honest with you.

The first time I saw a Veo 3 sample video, my jaw dropped. It looked realer than real — the expressions, camera angles, storytelling, even the lighting.

It’s impressive... but also frightening.

As someone in IT, cybersecurity and also a part time video editor, I see the potential, but I also see danger.

Now more than ever, we need to ask:

How do you know what you’re watching is real?

What if that’s not really your pastor, politician, boss, or family member speaking?

This is not fiction. This is today’s reality.

With tools like Veo 2, Veo 3, Sora, DeepFaceLab, or HeyGen, anyone can now create a convincing video of anyone doing or saying anything — without their consent.

Deepfake Impersonation: A Growing Cyber Threat

In Nigeria alone, scammers are using AI to:

1. Create fake job interview videos with familiar faces

2. Run online investment schemes using trusted personalities

3. Send fake “urgent” video messages to steal money or sensitive info

And globally, the threat is even bigger.

We’re entering a new kind of battle:

Not just hacking computers — but hacking minds and emotions.

So, How Do You Spot an AI-Generated Video (Before You Fall Victim)?

Forget complex tech jargon. Train your eyes like a market woman spotting fake ₦1,000 notes:

1. Watch the Eyes and Mouth

🕳️ AI often struggles with eye blinking, lip sync, or expressions that feel “off.”

🕳️ If it feels too robotic or “too perfect,” pause.

🕳️ Watch hands and teeth. AI still struggles with smooth finger movements (extra fingers? ghost thumbs?) and makes teeth look like creepy plastic dentures.

🕳️ Lighting feels "off." Notice shadows under the chin that don’t match the room? Light hitting the face but not the wall behind? Real light doesn’t play like that.

2. The "Blink & You’ll Miss It" Glitches:

🕳️ Hair and fabrics lie. Watch for hair melting into collars, or shirts that flow like liquid. Real cloth wrinkles naturally; AI cloth often looks like it’s made of wet plastic.

🕳️ Eyes are windows to the (fake) soul. No natural eye moisture? Pupils don’t react to light changes? Dead giveaway. Real eyes are always subtly moving, reflecting light.

3. Check the Background

🕳️ AI may forget details: warped furniture, flickering lights, melting ears (yes, really).

🕳️ Look out for shadows that don’t match, blurry hands, or missing fingers.

4. Listen Carefully

🕳️ AI voice is smooth but often lacks emotion or rhythm.

🕳️ Nigerian accent? Many AI tools still struggle to get that right.

If Uncle Bayo suddenly sounds like he’s from California — raise an eyebrow.

5. Verify the Source - The "Common Sense" Check (Most people skip this!):

🕳️ Does the story add up? That "urgent video" of a CEO asking for money? Call them. That "leaked clip" of a celebrity scandal? Check 3 legit news sites first.

🕳️ Source = Everything. Random WhatsApp forward? Unknown page with zero history? Assume it’s fake until proven real. Scammers prey on haste.

🕳️ Did the video come from the official social media account?

🕳️ Call or message the person directly to confirm.

🕳️ Don’t take action based on a random WhatsApp or TikTok clip.

5. Use AI Detection Tools (when possible)

🕳️ InVID, Deepware Scanner, or Hive AI can help analyze videos.

🕳️ But remember, no tool is perfect — combine your eyes + instincts + verification.

My Standpoint as a Cybersecurity Advocate

Listen, this isn’t just "awareness." As your guy in cybersecurity:

I help businesses build "human firewalls" – training teams to spot this stuff before they transfer $50k to a deepfake CFO.

Technology is not the problem — how we use it is.

As an IT professional with years of experience in media and cybersecurity, I’ve always stood for digital safety, public awareness, and empowering people with practical knowledge.

We must now treat video content the same way we treat emails asking for ATM details — with caution, curiosity, and context.

✊🏽 My Call to Action

Let’s start:

1. Teaching kids and elderly people how to spot fake videos

2. Training media teams, churches, schools, and businesses on AI awareness

3. Advocating for digital identity protection and ethical use of AI

If you work in media, IT, law, education, or just have a smartphone — this concerns you.

Let’s be watchful, not fearful.

Let’s be informed, not manipulated.

And most importantly — let’s talk about it.

🕳️ Share this.

🕳️ Educate someone.

🕳️ Protect your digital identity.

AI video is a powerful tool – for creators and criminals. Don’t be the fish that bites the shiny hook. Stay sharp. Question what you see. And if you run a business protecting money, data, or reputation? Let’s talk – before the scammers make you their next content.

Why Cybersecurity

 

Let’s Talk About Guarding the Human Side of Tech

Last month, a close friend—a small business owner—called me in a panic. One of her popular messaging app hacked, entire customer database, including some payment details, gone. She hadn’t backed up her files, phone, the messaging app and her entire livelihood was at risk.

That moment wasn’t just about “data.” It was about the hours she’d spent building trust with her customers.

The MGM Resorts breach. Hackers didn’t just “disrupt systems.” They stranded guests who couldn’t check into rooms, paralyzed slot machines in Vegas, and reportedly cost the company $100M. All from a single social engineering attack.

This is why cybersecurity matters to me.

We live in a world where a phishing email can wipe out a family’s savings. Where a hospital’s network outage during COVID meant doctors couldn’t access patient records. Where even your smart fridge could become a hacker’s backdoor.

It’s not just firewalls and encryption. It’s about protecting the human moments that tech enables:

• The grandma video-calling her grandkids overseas.
• The farmer in rural Countries accessing microloans via mobile banking.
• The nurse relying on connected devices to monitor ICU patients.
• The truck driver/Uber whose GPS was spoofed, rerouting his cargo to thieves.
• The teen whose college fund (School fees) was drained after clicking a fake link.

We’re not just protecting data. We’re protecting:

• The paycheck deposits in your bank account.
• The wedding photos stored in a cloud.
• The local charity that can’t afford to lose donor records. etc.

I don’t love cybersecurity because I’m obsessed with code. I love it because we’re the guardians of normalcy. Every time we patch a vulnerability, train someone to spot a scam, or design safer systems, we’re protecting real people’s lives from chaos.

The scary part? The “bad guys” aren’t slowing down. AI-generated deepfakes are making scams eerily convincing. Ransomware gangs now target schools and nonprofits. Even your car’s software can be weaponized.

But here’s the hope: Every one of us can do something.

• If you’ve ever taught your parents/colleagues/friends not to click suspicious links? You’ve contributed.
• If you’ve argued for better password policies at work? That’s cybersecurity.
• If you’ve stayed curious about how tech really works? You’re already part of the solution.
• When you enable two-factor authentication on your mom’s email/social media platforms? That’s cybersecurity.
• When you advocate for employee training at work? That’s cybersecurity.
• When you question that “too-good-to-be-true” DM? That’s cybersecurity.

I don’t do this work because I love firewalls. I do it because security is the foundation of everything we build. Without it, innovation is just a house of cards.

So why cybersecurity? Because it’s not a “tech issue”—it’s a human issue. And right now, the world needs more people who care about both.

So next time you hear “cybersecurity,” think beyond code. Think about the locksmith who keeps a neighborhood safe. The parent teaching their kid to look both ways before crossing the street. The community that watches out for one another.

That’s what we’re really protecting.

Stay safe. Stay curious.

If you’ve ever survived a “why is my computer beeping?!” call from a relative, you’re basically already in the club.

If you’ve ever yelled “DON’T CLICK THAT LINK!” at your screen while helping a relative… you’re already one of us.

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