China scammer uses AI to pose as man’s friend, steal millions

Guo was persuaded to transfer 4.3mil yuan (RM2.80mil or US$609,000) after the fraudster claimed another friend needed the money to come from a company bank account to pay the guarantee on a public tender. — Photo by Hassan OUAJBIR on Unsplash

BEIJING: A scammer in China used AI to pose as a businessman’s trusted friend and convince him to hand over millions of yuan, authorities have said.

The victim, surnamed Guo, received a video call last month from a person who looked and sounded like a close friend.