Elderly man in Macau defrauded via deepfake video on Facebook promoting fake cryptocurrency investment

Summary

Macau detected its first deepfake scam case, in which a local elderly man’s image was manipulated to create a video falsely promoting a cryptocurrency investment. The Judiciary Police (PJ) announced the case on Friday, revealing that the victim discovered his image had been used in a Facebook post published on Thursday. The AI-generated video, which swapped the victim’s face and altered his voice, was linked to a fraudulent website impersonating a local newspaper. The site featured the deepfake video promoting a fake investment opportunity. As of the case announcement, no individuals had reported financial losses from the scam. The incident highlights the misuse of AI technology, with several prominent figures in Macau previously having their likenesses used in similar online investment promotions.