PETALING JAYA: With the faces of popular figures appearing in deepfake videos promoting investment scams, a former state assemblyman has deliberately stepped into the trap to expose the syndicate’s tactics.
Former Pasir Pinji assemblyman Datuk Chan Kam said he recently discovered that AI-generated scam videos were widely circulating on social media.
“I decided to click on one of them and enter my contact details to see what would happen.
“Soon after, I received a phone call from someone inviting me to invest in a plan.
“The caller said if I chip in US$250 (RM1,100), I could receive a return of between RM5,000 and RM20,000,” he told a press conference organised by MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong yesterday.
Chan said after transferring the money into a bank account, the scammer kept updating him daily on his supposed investment status while persuading him to invest further.
But he stopped just there.
Cause for concern: Chong speaking on the rise of AI-powered cheating cases in Malaysia during a press conference at Wisma MCA, Kuala Lumpur. Looking on is Chan (centre). — YAP CHEE HONG/The Star
“Obviously, the money is gone,” he said, adding that the fund was pooled by himself, Chong, and several members of the Crime Prevention Foundation and the Malaysia-China Friendship and Mutual Aid Association.
Chan said he had gathered the relevant evidence and planned to lodge a police report.
“I hope that by sharing my story, more people will be cautious and not fall for these scams,” he said.
Chong said deepfake videos featuring celebrities, politicians, high-ranking civil servants and prominent businessmen endorsing investment scams are increasingly being used to deceive unsuspecting investors.
He cited one particularly absurd clip showing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim speaking in English with a Tamil accent.
“It’s ridiculous. Remember, there is no such thing as easy money. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is fake,” he added.
Sharing police statistics, Chong said a total of 13,956 scam cases involving RM2.11bil were reported last year, with 85% of victims lured through social media.
Also present were lawyer James Ee Kah Fuk, Perak Malaysia-China Friendship and Mutual Aid Association chairman Chuah Ai Ngor, and Perak MCA Public Services and Complaints Department chief Yuen Zhan How.
