A.I. Deepfakes and Scams

Free, fair, and accessible elections are fundamental to our representative democracy and rely on trust and participation. Unfortunately, there can be efforts to undermine this trust, with bad actors employing a variety of tools with various motivations. What all these efforts have in common is that they seek to take advantage of voters – spreading doubt and confusion into our election process. This can erode trust and decrease participation – a grave threat to our democracy.

We’ve come together with the Vermont Attorney General’s Office to share information and tips on this page about two main threats to look out for this election season: AI-generated disinformation, and direct scams.

AI-Generated Deepfakes and Elections

Today, just about anyone can use Artificial Intelligence (AI) software to create realistic images, videos, or audio clips known as “deepfakes.” While fake, they can appear real, and make it harder for voters to distinguish between truth and misinformation. Deepfakes might even be used during the election season to directly discourage voting, such by telling you that your polling place will be closed on election day.

Before sharing election-related information you find online, consider the source. The Vermont Secretary of State’s Office wants to ensure voters have the tools and knowledge to combat deepfakes during this election season. For information you can trust, always check with our office and/or your local city/town clerk.

Here are some useful tips/strategies for identifying AI disinformation:

Photos

If you see a photo that seems questionable or unusual, zoom in (if you can) and look for the following things.

1. Irregularities in human features. Look at the hands, fingers, and facial symmetry. AI-generated images often contain irregularities in these features.
2. Inconsistent shadows and lighting. Inconsistent shadows or lighting that doesn’t match the light source are common in AI-generated images.
3. Odd facial features. Look for asymmetry or irregularities in faces, such as odd eye placement, ears at different heights, or noses and mouths that seem out of alignment.
4. Too much perfection. AI-generated images often have a plastic or overly perfect feel. They lack the imperfections and subtle variations of real images.

Videos

Deepfake video content is improving every day, making it harder to identify. Below are a few common clues that indicate a video was generated by AI.

1. Strange shadows, blurring, and flickering lights. The light in AI-generated videos often won’t follow natural patterns.
2. Inconsistencies at the edges of people’s faces. AI-generated videos often use face swapping, which can make the edges of a person’s face appear distorted.
3. Skin that appears too smooth or too wrinkly. Often, the textures in an AI-generated video don’t look realistic. Look at people’s foreheads and cheeks to see if they match the rest of the face.
4. Too much or not enough blinking. AI struggles to replicate realistic facial expressions. Odd blinking patterns are a telltale sign that a video has been generated using AI.

Audio

AI tools make it easy to replicate a person’s voice. Watch out for robocalls and other audio that seem off or say something unusual. In New Hampshire, for example, a deepfake of President Biden’s voice spread misinformation about the 2024 primary election.

Here are a few things to listen for in audio content.

1. Slurred words. With just a short snippet of someone’s speech, AI tools can generate a realistic audio clip of their voice saying almost anything. However, it may slur over words not used in the original audio clip.
2. Flat, dry tone. AI can struggle to replicate appropriate human emotion in voices, resulting in a monotone voice.
3. Background noise. AI-generated audio will often have extra noise in the background. It can sound like a recording that was made with a low-quality microphone.

Election Season Scams

While deepfakes can seek to mislead voters and discourage turnout, there are also direct scams that seek to take advantage of election season to compromise voters’ personal and financial information. In collaboration with the Attorney General’s Office, here is an overview of the three main kinds of election season scams:

Voter registration scams

Scammers may claim you aren’t registered to vote, or that there are errors in your voter registration that you need to correct, and try to get you to download an app that will steal your personal information such as payment information and login credentials. They may also send you a link to download a fake voter registration form. This is a phishing scam to collect your personal data and allow someone to remotely access your device. Do not engage. Your town clerk can help you register to, or you can register online (for free) at our official state government website. If you want to check your registration status, your clerk can also help you, or you can go to our other official state government website – the “My Voter Page.”

Donation scams

Scammers may text or email you a link to donate to a political candidate or organization. These could be phishing scams to steal your personal information and money. Do not engage. If you want to donate to candidates, go to their official website. If a political action committee is not registered with the Federal Election Commission it’s fake, and it’s not legal. You can look up registered PACs here. If you have been targeted by one of these scams, contact your local FBI field office and ask to speak to an election crimes.

Fake surveys, petitions, and polls

If you receive a phone call, email, text, or even an in-person request to sign a petition or take a survey, never give your personal information away. Scammers may request payment, ask for your birth date, email address, Social Security number, home address, and even your credit card number to steal your identity and money. Do not engage. Do not click on links from unsolicited emails and texts, and do not share specific or personal information about yourself. Legitimate political polls will not offer prizes for participation and will not require a credit card number. Also, never pay for anything with a gift card. Gift cards are for gifts!

How can you combat deepfakes and election?

• Go to trusted sources for election information. Visit https://sos.vermont.gov/elections/ for updated voting information from the Vermont Secretary of State.
• Be skeptical of misinformation. If you receive a phone call or a text message that seems out of character or the information appears off, like “Voting Date Has Changed” or “Voting Locations Not Available,” ask yourself, does this make sense?
• Do not share information on social media if you are not confident about the source or if you think it might be misinformation.
• Report suspected misinformation and election scams to the Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance Program. Call 800-649-2424 or email AGO.CAP@vermont.gov.

To learn more, check out our video about election security here in Vermont.