75-year-old Singaporean woman loses $600,000 to AI deepfake scam impersonating Elon Musk over three years

Summary

A 75-year-old Singaporean woman lost $600,000 over three years to an AI-driven scam in which fraudsters impersonated high-profile figures like Elon Musk. The scammers used AI-generated content on platforms such as TikTok and WhatsApp to manipulate her into making repeated financial transfers. The scam was discovered in April 2025 when her daughters were alerted by police about a suspicious $67,000 transfer attempt. The victim was later diagnosed with psychosis due to the psychological impact of the scam. In response, Singapore introduced the Protection from Scams Act 2025, including Restriction Orders to block suspicious transactions and protect potential victims.