Deepfake videos and images of Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong were created using AI and used by scammers to promote cryptocurrency, money-making schemes, and permanent residency services.
Multiple deepfake videos and images of Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong have been circulating online, being used by scammers to promote various fraudulent products and services including cryptocurrency, money-making schemes, and permanent residency application services. Some of the deepfake videos used AI-cloned voices of Wong. This follows similar incidents targeting former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in December 2023 and June 2024, where deepfakes were used to promote investment scams and make false statements about international relations. In one previous case involving Lee, a manipulated CGTN interview was altered to show him endorsing a 'revolutionary investment platform designed by Elon Musk' with promises of passive income. Wong warned the public not to respond to these scams or share personal information, and directed victims to report incidents via ScamShield and file police reports online. The incidents occur against a backdrop of rising financial scams in Singapore, with victims losing a record S$1.1 billion in 2024 across 51,501 cases, representing a 70% increase in losses from 2023. The government has been strengthening legislation and enforcement, including considering caning as punishment for some scam-related offenses.
Domain classification, causal taxonomy, severity scores, and national security assessments were LLM-classified and may contain errors.
Using AI systems to gain a personal advantage over others such as through cheating, fraud, scams, blackmail or targeted manipulation of beliefs or behavior. Examples include AI-facilitated plagiarism for research or education, impersonating a trusted or fake individual for illegitimate financial benefit, or creating humiliating or sexual imagery.
Human
Due to a decision or action made by humans
Intentional
Due to an expected outcome from pursuing a goal
Post-deployment
Occurring after the AI model has been trained and deployed