Singaporeโs prime minister Lee Hsien Loong warned the public about a deepfake video, depicting him promoting a crypto scam โenvisioned by Elon Musk.โ
In an X post on Dec. 29, Singaporeโs prime minister Lee Hsien Loong has issued a public warning that addressed the emergence of deepfake videos depicting him promoting crypto scams with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) to mimic his voice and image.
The prime minister emphasized the scammersโ use of AI to manipulate genuine footage from official events into convincing yet entirely fabricated videos.
The Singapore official emphasized that scammers transform authentic footage from official events into highly convincing yet entirely fabricated videos, such as one featuring an altered interview on CGTN where he discusses a non-existent โtransformative investment platform envisioned by Elon Musk.โ He also urged the public to refrain from responding to such scam videos promising guaranteed returns on investments or giveaways.
โIf you see or receive these scams promising guaranteed returns on investments or โgiveawaysโ, please do not respond to them!โ
Lee Hsien Loong
The prime minister noted in a Facebook post that the use of deepfake technology to spread disinformation โwill continue to grow.โ This is not the first time the prime minister appears under the radar of scammers. In July, Lee Hsien Loong warned the public about scammers who were trying to capitalize on his image after a fake crypto video with him surfaced on the Internet.
In 2018, the government of Singapore also issued warnings to the public, urging caution regarding Bitcoin (BTC) investments falsely claiming endorsement or support from Lee Hsien Loong. The fraudsters were reported to create fake social media profiles in an attempt to deceive potential victims. The recurrent targeting of the prime minister underscores the challenges posed by advanced technologies in the realm of misinformation and financial scams.
