Singapore man loses RM15m to scammers after Zoom call with deepfake ‘PM Lawrence Wong’ - Malay Mail

A business professional in Singapore was scammed out of millions after a Zoom call featuring deepfake versions of government officials. The victim was tricked into transferring funds after being convinced by the realistic impersonations.

What happened

The scam began with a WhatsApp message from someone impersonating the Secretary to the Cabinet, Wong Hong Kuan, inviting the victim to a meeting with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. The victim received an email from a fraudulent address containing a forged letter of guarantee, purportedly signed by PM Wong, requesting urgent funding related to the Strait of Hormuz situation. After signing an NDA and providing identification, the victim attended a Zoom video conference featuring deepfake likenesses of PM Wong and other officials. Convinced, the victim transferred funds to a corporate bank account provided by the scammers. The victim only realized the deception after contacting the real Wong Hong Kuan. The total loss was at least S$4.9 million (RM15.3 million).