Veterinary practices are built on trust—between clients and clinicians, between managers and staff, and often between family members who help run the business. Unfortunately, today’s cybercriminals are exploiting that trust with tools that look and sound alarmingly real.
Two areas are rising quickly in risk for clinics and households alike: AI-powered deepfakes/identity cons and Internet of Things (IoT) devices (the “smart” tech connected to your Wi‑Fi).
Why Veterinary Practices are Prime Targets
Vet clinics handle a mix of valuable assets that criminals love:
- Payment activity (client payments, refunds, vendor invoices, payroll)
- Personally identifiable information (client contact details, sometimes financing data)
- Controlled substances and inventory systems
- Busy, high-emotion environments where urgency is normal (“We need this done now.”)
Attackers don’t need Hollywood hacking skills; they rely on human psychology and a little technology to make lies feel believable, especially when the practice is rushing between appointments, surgeries, emergencies, and callbacks.
Deepfakes and Identity Cons: When Seeing (or Hearing) Isn’t Believing
What is a Deepfake?
Deepfakes use AI to generate realistic video, images, or audio that appear authentic but are fabricated. In the past, many scams were easy to spot because the message had odd grammar, awkward phrasing, or low-quality audio. Today, AI can produce convincing speech, polished writing, and even “realistic” video calls that bypass our normal red-flag detectors.
How Criminals ‘Build You’ From the Internet
Scammers often scrape social media for:
- Photos and videos (faces, mannerisms, workplace details)
- Voice clips (Reels, TikToks, voicemail greetings, videos of staff events)
- Family relationships (names of kids, grandparents, spouses)
- Employment details (clinic name, role, coworkers)
That information becomes fuel for impersonation.
The Family Scam That Hits Hardest: Emotional Manipulation
One increasingly common deepfake con targets families, especially older relatives. A grandparent might receive a frantic call or video that appears to show a grandchild injured, stranded, or in trouble, urgently requesting money.
The key is not the technology—it’s the emotional pressure:
- “Please don’t tell mom or dad.”
- “I need help right now.”
- “I’m scared—send it quickly.”
Even cautious people can be pulled in when fear and love are involved.
Protect Your Family With a ‘Safe Phrase’
A simple, effective defense is a family safe word or safe phrase:
- Make it 4+ words (harder to guess or brute-force)
- Avoid anything discoverable online (birthdays, pet names, school mascots)
- Practice using it for any money request, emergency request, or unusual call
How it works: If someone calls claiming to be a loved one in crisis, you pause and ask for the safe phrase. No phrase, no action. This single habit can stop many panic-driven scams cold.
Deepfakes in the Clinic: Business Email Compromise (BEC) Goes Multimodal
Deepfakes aren’t just a family issue; they’re becoming a business issue, too.
A Business Email Compromise attack typically starts when a real email account is hacked (or convincingly spoofed). Then attackers impersonate:
- An owner/medical director
- A practice manager
- A bookkeeper
- A vendor or distributor
The new twist: instead of just emails, criminals may add:
- AI-written messages that match tone and style
- Voice calls that sound like a boss
- Video “approvals” that look legitimate
Common vet practice versions include:
- “I’m in surgery—pay this invoice now.”
- “Send W‑2s / payroll list—our accountant needs it.”
- “We’re changing bank accounts—update vendor payment info.”
- “Order gift cards for staff appreciation and text me the codes.”
If the request is urgent, private, or “out of process,” treat it as suspicious . . . no matter how real it seems.
Practical Clinic Safeguards Against Impersonation
1) Make Verification Boring and Consistent
Scammers thrive on exceptions. The best defense is a policy that feels routine:
- No payment changes without verification via a second channel
(Example: If the request comes by email, verify by calling a known number from your contacts, not a number in the email.) - No new payees or bank changes without a hold period
(Even 24 hours can break a scam.) - Two-person approval for wire transfers, ACH changes, or large refunds
2) Use ‘Safe Phrases’ at Work—Just Like at Home
Consider a clinic version of the safe phrase:
- A short internal “verification question” known to leadership and accounting
- Or a rule: “Any urgent payment request must be approved in person or through a pre-set approval tool.”
3) Train for Behavior, Not Just ‘Red Flags’
Modern scams may look flawless. Train staff to react to patterns:
- Urgency + secrecy
- Request bypasses normal workflow
- Payment method is unusual (wire, crypto, gift cards)
- Sender asks to “keep it confidential” or “don’t bother others”
IoT Devices: Convenient, Always-On, and Often Overlooked
The Internet of Things includes more than phones and laptops. It can include:
- Doorbells and security cameras
- Smart locks and thermostats
- Smart TVs and speakers (“Hey Alexa…,” “Okay Google…”)
- Smart appliances (fridges, ovens, crockpots, sous vide devices)
- Gaming consoles and accounts
- Bluetooth headphones and accessories
- Drones with cameras
These devices can be used as entry points to your network or as sources of audio/video data that criminals use for social engineering.
‘Your Devices are Listening’ (And Why That Matters)
Many smart devices are always ready for a wake word. If an attacker gains access—or if settings are weak—these devices can become a privacy leak or a foothold to move deeper into your home network.
Smart Locks, Doorbells, Thermostats
Risk: Default passwords, weak security, outdated firmware
Impact: Someone could access camera feeds, unlock doors, or lock you out.
Do this:
- Change default passwords immediately.
- Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on associated accounts.
- Keep firmware updated.
- Buy from reputable vendors with clear security update policies.
Connected Kitchen Devices and ‘Smart’ Appliances
Risk: Weak apps and stored credentials, plus access to the same Wi‑Fi as your sensitive devices
Do this:
- Put IoT devices on a separate Wi‑Fi network (guest network or VLAN).
- Don’t reuse passwords across device accounts.
- Avoid linking devices to accounts that store payment information when not necessary.
Laptops and Tablets (Still the #1 Risk Endpoint)
Risk: Malware bundles, fake download sites, lost/stolen devices, over-privileged accounts
Do this:
- Use a standard (non-admin) account for day-to-day work.
- Install software only from trusted sources.
- Turn on automatic updates.
- Enable device encryption and screen locks.
Home Assistants (Smart Speakers)
Risk: Common wake words and voice-activated purchasing/control.
Do this:
- Change the wake word/nickname if supported.
- Disable voice purchasing (or require a PIN).
- Review recorded voice history and privacy settings.
Gaming Platforms and Drones
Risk: Shared logins, saved credit cards, and unpatched firmware
Do this:
- Don’t store payment cards in gaming accounts if you can avoid it.
- Use unique passwords + MFA.
- Update drone/controller firmware before use.
Bluetooth Headphones and Accessories
Risk: Low-cost devices may come with poor security; unknown pairing requests can be risky
Do this:
- Stick to reputable brands.
- Don’t accept pairing requests you don’t recognize.
- Avoid storing sensitive data in companion apps unnecessarily.
A Simple ‘Stop, Verify, Protect’ Culture
Whether it’s a deepfake video call or a suspicious invoice email, the best practices share one theme: slow down just enough to verify.
Teach Your Team Three Habits:
- Stop when the request is urgent, emotional, or unusual.
- Verify using a second channel and known contact info.
- Protect with MFA, segmented networks, and consistent workflows.
This approach protects your clinic’s finances, your clients’ information, and your team’s families—because cybercriminals don’t separate “work targets” from “home targets.” They go where trust is easiest to exploit.
To learn more about how the author, William Lindus, and I.T. Guru can help provide your Veterinary practice with safe, secure, and stable technology and cybersecurity environments, book a free consultation today!