KUALA LUMPUR: A scam syndicate is said to be using AI-generated images of a fictitious “Datuk” posing with prominent Malaysian figures to gain public trust and lure victims into investment schemes.
MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong has warned the public about the alleged scam, involving a woman who operates a social media account under the name “Dalton Xenia” and portrays herself as a philanthropist.
“She also calls herself Datuk Yang Xiao Ying. The way she wears medals and a sash makes her look like one,” he said at a press conference yesterday.
He said the public had approached him and the Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) Melaka chairman, Edison Chan, and the Council of Federal Datuks Malaysia to verify the woman’s identity.
“We found that there is no such person,” he said.
Chong said he believes the syndicate could be operated by foreigners, as the woman claims to be an ambassador of the “Malaysian Red Cross Charity”.
“In Malaysia, we use the term Malaysian Red Crescent Society, not ‘Red Cross’,” he said.
“The syndicate also uploaded posts on social media that featured several images of the woman posing with the Prime Minister at Parliament, the Inspector-General of Police and members of the royal families.
“At first, we thought it was simply a fake Datuk. After further investigation, we found that the images were AI-generated,” he said.
Chong said the account on social media portrayed the woman as a kind-hearted philanthropist who frequently engaged in charitable activities and helped those in need.
He said the account also featured screencaps and testimonials purportedly from individuals thanking her for helping them earn substantial returns through investment schemes.
Some posts claimed that participants had received winnings and investment returns exceeding RM3.2bil, which were used to convince others to join the schemes, he added.
Chan urged the police and authorities to investigate the allegations, including the authenticity of certificates displayed online, the use of official images, the identities of those operating the social media accounts and any related financial transactions.
“Malaysians should not be easily influenced by honorary titles, certificates, luxurious lifestyles, photographs with VIPs or promises of extraordinary investment returns,” he said.
Also at the press conference was Council of Federal Datuks Malaysia legal affairs deputy head Datuk Joy Appukuttan, who advised the public to verify honorary titles through official channels, including the council’s website at https://mddm.org.my/ and the Istiadat website at https://www.istiadat.gov.my/.
He said the council has been raising awareness about individuals using unrecognised awards and titles for years, but the issue has become more serious as some have begun exploiting such titles to gain public trust and solicit investments.
“We met with some MPs to submit proposals to amend existing legislation governing honorary titles and awards. The proposed amendments would broaden the scope of the law to include state awards and introduce heavier penalties, including higher fines, against those found misusing or falsely claiming such titles.”
