Singapore: AI Deepfake was used to impersonate the Prime Minister of Singapore to deceive people. Criminals used deepfake AI technology to create fake Zoom meetings, impersonating Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and other high-ranking government officials, swindling victims out of up to S$4.9 million (approximately 130 million baht).
According to Thai News Agency, the Singapore Police Force has released a video warning about a highly sophisticated scam using AI deepfakes to create fake Zoom meetings impersonating Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and high-ranking government officials. The scammers use a profile picture of Singapore's Cabinet Secretary to message victims, often businesspeople or experts with prior government contact, inviting them to an urgent meeting with Prime Minister Wong. They then send fake Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) for victims to sign and trick them into sending copies of their identification cards before the meeting, along with a fake government guarantee letter bearing a forged signature of Prime Minister Wong.
When victims click on the Zoom link, they are shown a highly realistic, moving video of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, President Tharman Shanmuratnam, and other ministers, along with simulated images of foreign diplomats and world leaders participating. During the meeting, false information is provided regarding tense geopolitical situations and crises, such as the problem in the Strait of Hormuz, and it is claimed that the government urgently needs aid funds, which will be repaid within 15 business days. The AI deepfake Prime Minister Wong then closes the meeting and mentions the victim's name to express gratitude for attending, leading the victims to believe it is a real meeting.
After the meeting, another perpetrator, posing as a lawyer, contacted the victim, urging them to transfer money into a designated company account. This victim made several transfers, totaling over S$4.9 million (approximately 130 million baht), before becoming suspicious and verifying the matter with the real Cabinet Secretary.
Singapore police also pointed out technical irregularities in the video, such as the lip movements of the people on screen not matching their speech naturally, because fake voices were used to dub over the pre-recorded video throughout the meeting. Everyone's speech was broadcast from a single main Zoom account, instead of individual voices being broadcast separately when each person's microphone was open. In addition, the background was distorted abnormally, and parts of the Zoom logo on the screen were obscured or positioned asymmetrically, effects often caused by using AI-generated videos.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong immediately issued a warning to the public via Facebook, emphasizing that Singaporean government officials would never ask for money transfers, investments, or banking information over the phone or video call. Officials will also never ask you to install any applications outside of the official app stores. If unexpectedly contacted by a high-ranking individual, verify the information through the agency's primary contact channel before taking any action, or immediately transfer the call to the police or other government officials.