Lee Hsien Loong warns video promoting investment scam on social media is a deepfake
Singaporeans must stay vigilant to protect themselves and those around them from deepfake scams, said Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who is again depicted promoting investment products in one such scam.
In a Facebook post on June 2, SM Lee said there is a deepfake video of him asking viewers to sign up for an investment product that claims to give guaranteed returns. He included in his post a screenshot of the video circulating online with the subtitle saying, “I am glad to present you a new investment”.
“The video is not real!” he wrote.
SM Lee added that artificial intelligence and deepfake technology are improving by the day.
Not only did the scammers mimic his voice and layer the fake audio over actual footage of him delivering the 2023 National Day message, but he said they also synchronised his mouth movements with the audio.
“This is extremely worrying. People watching the video may be fooled into thinking that I said those words,” he wrote. “Please remember, if something sounds too good to be true, proceed cautiously.”
He urged Singaporeans not to believe scam ads of him or any other Singapore public office holder promoting an investment product.
Users can report them using the Government’s ScamShield Bot on WhatsApp at go.gov.sg/scamshield-bot
“We must stay vigilant to protect ourselves and the ones around us,” said SM Lee.
In December 2023, then PM Lee also warned Singaporeans of a deepfake video circulating online, in which he appeared to be advocating for a cryptocurrency scheme in an interview with Beijing-based news outlet China Global Television Network.
You might have seen a deepfake video of me asking viewers to sign up for an investment product that claims to have...
Posted by Lee Hsien Loong on Saturday, June 1, 2024
Chin Hui Shan
The Straits Times
Asia News Network
