AI Celebrity Deepfake Scam Suspects Arrested - News On Japan

On July 13, 2025, police in Tokyo arrested two Taiwan-born suspects, including 29-year-old Yang Xinyi, on suspicion of defrauding a woman in her 80s of 17 million yen. The suspects are believed to be members of a Taiwanese fraud ring that used synthetic media to manipulate a victim into participating in a fraudulent investment opportunity.

What happened

The scheme involved the use of generative artificial intelligence to create deepfake videos featuring well-known figures. These videos were presented to the victim to provide false credibility to an investment opportunity. Investigators determined that the suspects acted as cash collectors for the broader criminal group. Throughout the operation, the suspects received specific, detailed instructions via social media from an unidentified individual. These messages included information about the victim, such as her age and financial status, as well as operational commands like "Do not forget to erase the recording device" and inquiries regarding the amount of money collected. The victim was ultimately defrauded of 17 million yen in cash. Following their arrest, both suspects denied the allegations, telling investigators that they could not remember anything regarding the case.