UK engineering firm Arup falls victim to £20m deepfake scam

The British engineering company Arup has confirmed it was the victim of a deepfake fraud after an employee was duped into sending HK$200m (£20m) to criminals by an artificial intelligence-generated video call.

Arup confirmed that fake voices and images were used and added: “Our financial stability and business operations were not affected and none of our internal systems were compromised.”

Arup, one of the world’s leading consulting engineering firms, employs more than 18,000 people and famously provided the structural engineering for the Sydney Opera House including its distinctive concrete shells. Recent project involvements include the Crossrail transport scheme in London and the Sagrada Família in Barcelona.