Macau detects its first deepfake scam case

Macau has seen its first case of fraud involving AI deepfake technology, where a local elderly man’s image was manipulated to create a video promoting a seemingly guaranteed investment opportunity.

The Judiciary Police (PJ) announced details of the case on Friday, revealing that the victim discovered on Thursday that his image had been used to create a video and publish an article on Facebook, falsely promoting a “surefire” cryptocurrency investment project.

According to the police, the video in question has been confirmed as a face-swapping and voice-altering creation generated using AI deepfake technology. Clicking on the post redirects users to a fraudulent website that impersonates a local newspaper.

This deceptive site features the AI deepfake video, which depicts the victim endorsing the project while promoting a counterfeit investment opportunity.

The PJ stated that, at the time of the case announcement, they had not received any reports of individuals suffering losses from the scam.

They cautioned the public about the challenges of distinguishing truth from falsehood in the online realm and urged them not to blindly trust images or videos circulating online.

Notably, the police pointed out that several prominent figures in Macau have had their likenesses misused in online investment promotions, including former Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng, whose image was featured in a video created using AI deepfake technology.

Meanwhile, during a legislative session on Friday, the Secretary for Security, Wong Sio Chak, underlined that the PJ have the capability to handle AI-related crimes, noting that they already possess the technical expertise and enforcement tools to authenticate counterfeit products using AI technology.

He also pointed out that to effectively address the development of AI and regulatory approaches, the entire local government must align its top-level design with broader governmental strategies. This involves continuously analyzing and assessing the situation while staying in sync with national and international trends to ensure effective analysis and legislative initiatives.