UK Parliament Warns AI Deepfakes Are Fueling Messaging-App Phishing

End-to-end encryption on WhatsApp and Signal protects messages in transit but cannot prevent social engineering, impersonation or account takeovers. Lawmakers and other public figures are especially attractive targets because they have access to sensitive information and leave extensive audio and video material online. Generative AI can turn that material into convincing cloned voices or deepfake video, making fraudulent requests harder to identify.

House of Lords Speaker Lord Forsyth of Drumlean has warned of increased phishing activity targeting lawmakers and other prominent people through encrypted messaging apps, with attackers using AI-generated voices and deepfake video. The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre issued an alert on March 31 and updated its guidance on July 14, specifically citing WhatsApp and Signal. Authorities have not disclosed the number of victims or any financial losses linked to the campaign.