PM Lee and DPM Wong warn of deepfake videos of them online: 'Tis the season for scams'

Christie Chiu
The Straits Times
Dec 29, 2023

Singaporeans must remain vigilant and learn to protect themselves and loved ones against deepfake scams, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong – who is the latest target to be depicted promoting investment products.

In a Facebook post on Dec 29, PM Lee included a recent deepfake video circulating online, in which he appears to be advocating for a cryptocurrency scheme in an interview with Beijing-based news outlet China Global Television Network.

He wrote: “The scammers use AI (artificial intelligence) technology to mimic our 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.”

PM Lee urged people not to respond if they receive such scam videos, which promise guaranteed returns on investments.

Anyone who comes across such video scams, false news or advertisements can report them using the official ScamShield Bot on WhatsApp, he said.

He added that official videos put up online by the Prime Minister’s Office can be found here.

PM Lee said: “The use of deepfake technology to spread disinformation will continue to grow.”

He added that Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong as also the target of a similar deepfake video recently.

In a Facebook post on Dec 11, DPM Wong said he was aware of deepfake scam posts and messages that show him endorsing products, and spreading misinformation that the Government was planning to implement a Covid-19 circuit breaker.

He said: “These are all falsehoods. Let’s stay vigilant and discerning online.”