Video calls and phishing links are used by scammers to obtain an image of the victim's face.
Instagram account of the scammer "Janice". She sent John a photo with his face on the naked body of a man.
That image turned out to be a deepfake, with scammers using face-swopping artificial intelligence technology to transpose John’s face on another body. He then struck up a conversation with her through the app’s message function. They hit it off and exchanged Telegram and Instagram contacts.“She looked a bit different from her profile picture, but I didn’t think anything of it. But it was weird how insistent she was to call,” he said, adding that she did not sound Singaporean.
He met Janice on OkCupid around the same time as John. She did the same thing with Sam – chats on the app and then a video call on Telegram.Sam feared that nobody would believe him and paid up.In his case, the scammers squeezed him for a total of $2,200, after initially demanding $700. He paid the scammers the money and pleaded with them to delete the video. They demanded more money and Joel paid $2,200 over three transactions before he sought help.
While the police have figures for most scams, they do not track the number of deepfake-related scams. Some of the scammers are operating out of centres established in Cambodia. Many of the people carrying out the scams were lured with false job premises but forced to run online scam, said Mr Hutabarat.He added: “These scams typically target individuals seeking romantic relationships and can cause significant damage to victims.”
Mr Hutabarat said some companies are even offering services called Deepfakes-as-a-Service, where customers can obtain professional deepfake content for a fee.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Food hunt at Singapore theme parks: Science Centre SingaporeYou know what to expect at our local theme parks, but what about the food? Our team of taste explorers take you on a wild ride through Singapore’s awesome theme parks and their culinary offerings. We're on a mission to uncover the unique flavours that make each theme park a gastronomic adventure too. Today, we explore Science Centre Singapore! Do..
Read more »
Chinese national arrested in S’pore for creating malware that allowed criminals to steal billionsProperties subject to seizure include a Singapore condominium unit and a Singapore-registered Ferrari.
Read more »
S’pore Chinese culture unique because it is established on foundations of multiculturalism: SM LeeIn Singapore, all citizens should put Singapore and its interests first, said SM Lee
Read more »
Singapore, Hong Kong police produce ‘Honey Money’ anti-scam videoThe Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Hong Kong Police Force have collaborated on an advisory video about online scams and how to avoid falling victim. The video, with the description “Honey Money”, was posted on both the forces’ social media channels on May...
Read more »
'New phobia unlocked': Instagram video of ugly fish on Singapore beach goes viralSINGAPORE — It has been likened to a french bulldog, American actor Steve Buscemi, a grumpy old man and the character Gollum from the Lord Of The Rings. A video of a long-nosed stargazer fish has gone viral on Instagram, garnering about 54.2 million views and nearly 1.3 million likes since it was posted on May 18. Posted by The...
Read more »
Aircraft that operated SQ321 returns to Singapore from BangkokSINGAPORE: The Singapore Airlines (SIA) aircraft that operated turbulence-hit flight SQ321 returned to Singapore on Sunday (May 26), five days after it made an emergency landing in Bangko
Read more »