As the recent hurricane Helene caused major damage and as hurricane Milton has left a path of destruction across Florida, deepfakes are spreading misinformation on social media.
Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and X are seeing an influx of these manipulated images, confusing users and distorting the reality of the situation.
According to Forbes, one of the most viral images—a young girl stranded in floodwaters clutching a drenched puppy—has garnered over a million views on X alone.
Kevin Guo, CEO of the content moderation platform Hive, confirmed the image was AI-generated and is being used to sow misinformation about the federal government’s response to the hurricane.
Other false images include a man wading through water with a dog, law enforcement officers engaged in relief efforts, and even a doctored photo of Donald Trump in a life jacket navigating muddy waters. While these AI-generated images may seem harmless at first glance, they pose a threat you all understand. A raft of scams are possible with this type of social engineering.
The crooks are impersonating FEMA and other disaster relief organizations in order to trick people into sending money or handing over personal information. Cybercriminals always attempt to exploit natural disasters with social engineering attacks, and similar scams should be expected in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.
One particularly cruel scam is directly targeting victims of Hurricane Helene who are seeking financial
assistance. “One of the first major threats we observed is FEMA claim scamming, where cybercriminals pose as legitimate FEMA assistance providers to steal personal information and funds,” researchers at Veriti say. “A VIP member on a hackers forum, under the alias ‘brokedegenerate,’ recently posted about a new scam targeting Florida residents affected by the hurricane.
On the forum, the scammer shares tactics for creating fake FEMA assistance claims, with detailed instructions on how to deceive victims and siphon off funds intended for disaster relief. This kind of scam is particularly dangerous, as victims are already in a vulnerable position due to the natural disaster.”
The researchers have also observed a surge in hurricane-related phishing domains, such as “hurricane-helene-relief[.]com.”
“By using hurricane-related terms and associating themselves with disaster relief, these domains aim to create a sense of urgency, making it more likely that victims will fall for the phishing schemes,” the researchers write. “Attackers will likely send phishing emails directing recipients to these websites, claiming to offer relief services or grant applications. Once victims input their personal details, the attackers can use or sell the data for financial gain.”
During times of crisis, it's crucial to verify the information you encounter online. Sharing false or misleading images can divert attention away from real needs. As AI technology continues to advance, so does its potential to mislead—and staying vigilant in the face of these tactics is more important than ever.
Stay alert and think twice before sharing content during any kind of disaster.
