S’porean PM Becomes Target of Deepfake Scam Videos Mimicking Him, Warns Public Not to Fall For Them

Recently, Singaporean Prime Minister PM Lee Hsien Loong warned Singaporeans not to respond to scams using deepfake videos that mimic his voice and image.

In a Facebook post, Lee said there have been several “audio deepfake videos” of him purporting to promote cryptocurrency scams, and he also included an example of such a video, which shows him “speaking” about a “cryptocurrency scheme” during an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN).

Although the video is a clip of Lee’s “Leaders Talk” interview with the Beijing-based news network in March 2023, his voice has been manipulated by scammers who used Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to mimic voices and images.

“They transform real footage of us taken from official events into very convincing but completely bogus videos of us purporting to say things that we have never said.”

“If you see or receive these scam videos promising guaranteed returns on investments or ‘giveaways’, please do not respond to them,” he added.

Meanwhile, Lee also shared that such scams also misused DPM Lawrence Wong’s image.

He said the videos circulated online showed him appearing to endorse commercial products and circulating misinformation that the government is looking to reinstate a circuit breaker.

“The use of deepfake technology to spread disinformation will continue to grow. We must remain vigilant and learn to protect ourselves and our loved ones against such scams”.

Lee thanked Singaporeans who took the time to flag the deepfake videos to him and said others can report scams, fake news, or ads similar to the video via the official ScamShield Bot.

Stay vigilant to not fall for such scams out there!

Also read: M’sian Seller Gets Charged For Selling Skin Cream Containing Poison in S’pore