The Use of Deepfake Technologies in High Tech Crimes

The concept of «deepfake» is examined in two senses: as deepfake technologies themselves, and as content produced through the application of these technologies. A definition of this concept is proposed from a forensic science perspective. It is shown that deepfake can be considered as falsified characteristics of a person’s digital twin, while the deepfake technologies used to create them constitute an illegal substitution of the digital twin’s characteristics with an artificially generated fake analogue. The insufficiency of legal regulation of deepfake technologies leads to wide opportunities for their introduction into criminal activities, especially in the commission of high-tech crimes. In this regard, the main trends in the criminal use of deepfake are analyzed. It is concluded that deepfake are an innovative means of committing crimes, the architecture of which is represented by a combination of software and hardware components. It is noted that deepfakes are used not only for the direct commission of crimes, but also for their concealment, while in terms of the forensic significance, they amount to staged scenarios. From the standpoint of trace formation, the specific nature of traces resulting from the illegal use of deepfake is highlighted, determined by the fact that these traces do not reflect real events. In forensic investigative science, deepfake should be regarded as a specific type of fake electronic digital traces formed during the commission of crimes and obstruction of investigation. Difficulties in criminal proceedings arising from the use of deepfake in the falsification of evidence are noted. It is concluded that it is necessary to develop practical recommendations and technical and forensic methods aimed at ensuring reliable detection and investigation of deepfake.

1. Ali A, Khushboo KF, Naseem H, et al. Battle of Deep Fakes: Artificial Intelligence Set to Become a Major Threat to the Individual and National Security. International Conference on Cyber Resilience (ICCR), Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 6–7 October 2022. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE); 2022. P. 1–38.

2. Amerini I, Barni M, Battiato S, et al. Deepfake Media Forensics: Status and Future Challenges. Journal of Imaging. 2025;11(3):1-42.

3. Anichkina ES, Sorokina VV, (eds.). Legal counteraction to the «fakification» of the information space: A collective monograph. Barnaul: Altai University Publishing House; 2025. (In Russ.).

4. Bakhteev DV. Private forensic theories as a source for the development of applied artificial intelligence systems in investigative activities. Sibirskie ugolovno-protsessualnye i kriminalisticheskie chteniya [Siberian criminal process and criminalistic readings]. 2020;2(28):32-43. (In Russ.).

5. Belkin RS. Course of criminalistics: in 3 volumes. Vol. 3: Forensic tools. Techniques and recommendations. Moscow: Yurist Publ.; 1997. (In Russ.).

6. Bendiab G, Haiouni H, Moulas I, Shiaeles S. Deepfakes in digital media forensics: Generation, AI-based detection and challenges. Journal of Information Security and Applications. 2025;88:103935.

7. Bodrov NF, Lebedev AK. Criminal law and criminalistic aspects of countering the spread and use of deepfakes in the Russian Federation. Criminalistics: Yesterday, today, tomorrow. 2023;28(4):42-55. (In Russ.).

8. Danilenko YuA. Problems of investigation of certain types of cybercrimes committed using artificial intelligence. In: Problems of obtaining and using evidentiary and criminalistically significant information. Proceedings of the International Scientific and Practical Conference, Miskhor (Bolshaya Yalta), September 26–27, 2019. Simferopol: Arial Publ.; 2019. P. 37–39. (In Russ.).

9. Dobrobaba MB. Deepfakes as a threat to human rights. Lex russica. 2022;75(11):112-119. (In Russ.).

10. Efremova MA, Ruskevich EA. Deepfake and criminal law. Vestnik Kazanskogo yuridicheskogo instituta MVD Rossii [Bulletin of the Kazan Law Institute of MIA Russia]. 2024;15-2(56):97-105. (In Russ.).

11. Galyashina EI, Nikishin VD. The protection of megascience projects from deepfake technologies threats: Information law aspect. Journal of Physics: Conference Series. 2022;2210:012007.

12. Galyashina EI. Diagnostics of authenticity of digital phonograms in phonoscopic examination: Possibilities and limits of research. Vestnik ekonomicheskoy bezopasnosti. 2018;1:34-41. (In Russ.).

13. Golovin AYu, Golovina EV. Social engineering in the mechanism of criminal activity in the field of information and telecommunication technologies. Izvestiya Tulskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Ekonomicheskie i yuridicheskie nauki [Proceedings of the TSU. Economic and Legal Sciences]. 2013;2(2):3-13. (In Russ.).

14. Isakova AG, Osin AV. The use of artificial intelligence in the investigation of crimes using deepfake technology. Vestnik nauki. 2024;3-1(70):235-242. (In Russ.).

15. Ivanov VG, Ignatovsky YaR. Deepfakes: Prospects for application in politics and threats to personality and national security. Vestnik Rossiyskogo universiteta druzhby narodov. Seriya «Gosudarstvennoe i municipal’noe upravlenie» [RUDN Journal of Law. Series: State and municipal government]. 2020;4:379-386. (In Russ.).

16. Khabrieva TYa, Chernogor NN. Law in the conditions of digital reality. Zhurnal Rossiyskogo Prava [Journal of Russian Law]. 2018;1:85-102. (In Russ.).

17. Kiselyov AS. On the need for legal regulation in the field of artificial intelligence: Deepfake as a threat to national security. Vestnik Moskovskogo gosudarstvennogo oblastnogo universiteta. Seriya «Yurisprudentsiya» [Bulletin of the Moscow State Region University. Jurisprudence Series]. 2021;3:54-64. (In Russ.).

18. Koldin VYa. Electronic information in law. Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seriya 11, Pravo. 2016;2:96-110. (In Russ.).

19. Laptev VA. Deepfake and other artificial intelligence products on the path of online justice development. Aktual’nye problemy rossijskogo prava. 2021;16(11):180-186. (In Russ.).

20. Meshcheryakov VA. Traces of crimes in the field of high technology. Biblioteka kriminalista [Criminalist’s Library]. 2013;5(10):265-270. (In Russ.).

21. Mironova EA, Obraztsov VA. Crime re-enactment as a system of fictions. Obrazovanie i pravo. 2019;2:182-196. (In Russ.)

22. Osipenko AL. Problems of involving electronic and digital traces in the criminal process. Nauchnyy vestnik Omskoy akademii MVD Rossii [Scientific Bulletin of the Omsk Academy of the MIA of Russia]. 2009;4(35):31-34. (In Russ.).

23. Polyakov VV. Criminalistic classification of means of high-tech crimes. Vestnik Sankt-Peterburgskogo universiteta. Pravo [Vestnik of Saint Petersburg Universita. Law]. 2024;15(2):421-439. (In Russ.).

24. Polyakov VV. Criminalistic classification of methods of countering the investigation of high-tech crimes. Yuridicheskaya nauka i pravookhranitelnaya praktika [Legal Science and Law Enforcement Practice]. 2023;1(63):69-79. (In Russ.).

25. Polyakov VV. On the problem of using the concept of «artificial intelligence» in criminology. Yurislingvistika [Legal Linguistics]. 2022;25(36):21-28. (In Russ.).

26. Polyakov VV. The use of social engineering methods in the commission of high-tech crimes. Kriminalistika: vchera, segodnya, zavtra. 2023;3(27):175-188. (In Russ.).

27. Rossinskaya ER. Genesis and problems of development of new genera and types of forensic examinations. Vestnik Universiteta imeni O.Е. Kutafina (MGYuA). 2014;3:114-121. (In Russ.).

28. Sandoval MP, Almeida Vau M de, Solaas J, Rodrigues L. Threat of deepfakes to the criminal justice system: A systematic review. Crime Science. 2024;13. Art. 41.

29. Savenkov AN, Rossinskaya ER. The development vector of criminalistic science in the conditions of global digitalization. Gosudarstvo i Pravo [State and Law]. 2023;5:100-110. (In Russ.).

30. Semikalenova AI. Digital footprints: Purpose and production of expertise. Vestnik Universiteta imeni O.Е. Kutafina (MGYuA). 2019;5:115-120. (In Russ.).

31. Vekhov VB. The concept and mechanism of the formation of electronic and digital traces. In: The use of modern information technologies and problems of information security in the activities of law enforcement agencies: Interuniversity thematic collection of scientific papers. Kaliningrad: Kaliningrad Publishing house. Law Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia; 2009. P. 62–72. (In Russ.).

32. Zheludkov MA. Justification of the necessity to adjust law enforcement agencies to digital transformation of criminality. Lex russica. 2021;74(4):63-70. (In Russ.).