Singapore businessman loses $4.9 million to deepfake impersonation scam
A Singapore businessman lost at least S$4.9 million after scammers used deepfake technology to impersonate Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and other senior government officials in a fake Zoom meeting. The scammers employed multiple deception tactics including fraudulent WhatsApp messages, fake emails, and forged government documents to convince the victim to transfer funds for alleged urgent funding assistance.
What happened
A Singapore businessman lost at least S$4.9 million after being deceived in a scam involving deepfake technology. The victim received a WhatsApp message with a profile photo purporting to be Wong Hong Kuan, Secretary to the Cabinet, inviting him to a Zoom video conference call.
The victim also received an email from WongHongKuan.secretarycabinet@proton.me requesting urgent funding assistance related to the Strait of Hormuz situation. The email included what appeared to be an official government-issued letter of guarantee bearing Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's signature, stating that funds would be reimbursed within 15 business days.
The scammers used deepfake artificial intelligence technology to create realistic video appearances of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and other government officials for the Zoom conference call. The victim was asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement and provide a copy of his identification card before attending the meeting.
Reported impact
The victim lost at least S$4.9 million in the scam. Police obtained footage of the AI-generated Zoom video conference that was used as part of the scheme.
Index analysis
The scammers targeted a business professional with prior interactions with government officials, using deepfake technology to impersonate high-profile figures including the Prime Minister and senior government officials. The ruse employed multiple channels including WhatsApp, fraudulent emails, and fake government-issued documents to establish credibility and urgency.
Governance controls
The Singapore Police Force warned the public to be careful of such scams and advised against transferring money or identity document details to unverified individuals. Police recommended verifying official requests through official channels and calling the ScamShield helpline for assistance.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.