Dato Wee Hong Seng voice deepfake — Nov 2026

Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng has issued a public warning following a sophisticated scam where criminals used AI voice cloning to impersonate him. The incident involved an associate of the Mayor who was targeted by a fraudulent request for funds.

What happened

Scammers utilized artificial intelligence technology to imitate the voice of Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng during a telephone call to an individual close to him. During the conversation, the impersonator requested a loan and instructed the victim to transfer RM10,000 into an unfamiliar third-party bank account.

Upon learning of the incident, Mayor Wee confirmed that he did not initiate the call and subsequently filed a formal police report. He condemned the fraudulent activity and highlighted the growing threat posed by AI-driven voice imitation, which allows criminals to exploit the trust victims place in familiar voices. The Mayor has urged the public to exercise extreme caution, advising that individuals should never rely solely on the sound of a caller's voice when faced with requests for money transfers or financial transactions. He recommends verifying the identity of any caller through independent channels before taking action and encourages reporting any suspicious communications to the authorities immediately.