The New Face of Fraud: Deepfake Threats to Corporate Governance

AI-driven impersonation and identity-based fraud are accelerating at a pace that outstrips many organisations' ability to respond. Deepfake audio, video and synthetic identities are no longer fringe threats - they are increasingly being deployed to imitate CEOs, finance leaders and other senior executives with alarming accuracy. According to recent industry analysis, AI-enabled fraud surged by more than 50% in 2024 (KPMG), while one in three UK businesses faced deepfake or synthetic-identity attempts last year (PwC). Europol has reported a staggering 300% rise in deepfake-related incidents, underscoring the scale of the threat to businesses across all sectors. The trend is equally evident across North America, where organisations are reporting sharp increases in both attack volume and financial loss. 81% of Canadian business leaders who experienced fraud said it was AI-enabled, and 72% estimated that these attacks eroded between 1-5% of their profits over the past year (KPMG 2026).

This session will explore the evolving landscape of deepfake and identity-manipulation fraud, examining how these attacks are constructed, where corporate vulnerabilities lie, and what organisations can do to stay ahead of emerging risks. Our panel will address the legal, regulatory and ethical implications, from liability questions and evidentiary challenges to obligations under data protection and fraud legislation.

In January, Taylor Wessing's offices in the UK, Ireland, Middle East, Netherlands, and Belgium announced that we'll be combining with Winston & Strawn to establish Winston Taylor, a new firm built for the businesses, people, and markets driving capital and innovation.

Upon completion, the combination will create one of the world's largest transatlantic law firms, with hubs in the US, UK, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.