a day ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
AI deepfakes of PM, tycoons used in scams
KUALA LUMPUR: Scammers are using artificial intelligence (AI) to create hyper-realistic videos featuring politicians, business moguls, and celebrities.
These videos are used to lure unsuspecting people into fraudulent investment schemes.
MCA's Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong said today that RM2.11 billion was lost to these scams last year. A total of 13,956 cases were reported.
These AI-generated deepfake videos often depict influential figures — including Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, tycoon Tan Sri Robert Kuok, former chief justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat and Capital A Bhd chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes — promoting fake investment and get-rich-quick schemes.
"The AI-generated videos look so real that people can't tell the difference. Anyone watching would think it is the prime minister himself asking the public to invest, unaware that it's an AI-generated fake." Chong said this at Wisma MCA.
He said 85 per cent of victims were convinced to invest after watching fake promotional videos featuring seemingly genuine endorsements from public figures.
"If not for the Tamil accent in one of the videos, I too might have believed it was real," he said.
This, he added, highlights just how convincing the content can be.
"These videos have become rampant over the past four to five months, spreading through Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram — making them easily accessible."
He said that while authorities such as the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission are removing flagged content, scammers continue to stay one step ahead.
"They're smarter. The moment one video is taken down, they generate a new one and continue to deceive people."
To illustrate how easily victims are ensnared, he and several MCA members conducted a simple sting operation.
They pooled RM1,100 and responded to a link beneath one of the scam videos.
"Within minutes, a scammer contacted our team member to explain the 'investment' and its returns.
"He played along and invested RM1,100. He was promised a return of RM5,000 the following week.
'The next day, they demanded another US$250 as a processing fee. At that point, we confirmed it was a scam and stopped engaging."
While it is difficult to prevent scammers from using technology in increasingly creative ways, he said public awareness remains the strongest defence.
"We must flag and tag such videos as fake whenever they appear on our feed.
"This way, the next person who sees it might think twice before falling for the scam."
He said social media platforms should strengthen detection mechanisms and called on authorities to tighten legislation against the misuse of AI-generated media.
