Deepfake Zoom Scam Impersonating Singapore PM Costs Victim Over $3.8m

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Singapore police have released footage from a sophisticated deepfake scam in which fraudsters impersonated the prime minister of Singapore, Lawrence Wong, and other senior officials during a fake Zoom meeting. One victim was tricked into transferring at least SGD 4.9 million (USD 3.83 million) to the fraudsters.

According to a Singapore Police Force advisory, the scam was targeting professionals who had previously interacted with government officials. The victim was first contacted on WhatsApp by someone claiming to be the Cabinet Secretary, persuaded to sign an NDA, and then invited to what appeared to be a high-level video conference with Singapore and foreign officials.

The fabricated meeting reportedly focused on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and featured deepfake versions of senior politicians, including Singapore’s prime minister and president, and representatives from the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

After the call, a scammer posing as a lawyer allegedly persuaded the victim to provide assistance with urgent funding, assuring him the money would be reimbursed by the Singapore government within 15 days. After transferring the funds, the victim later contacted the real Cabinet Secretary and discovered the request had been fraudulent.

Investigators said the fake meeting showed signs of AI manipulation, including poor lip-syncing, distorted backgrounds, obscured Zoom logos, and audio apparently broadcast through a single account rather than individual speakers.

Prime Minister Wong said:

I have been alerted that some people have received fake messages from someone impersonating the Cabinet Secretary and arranging meetings on my behalf. These messages are scams. Please exercise caution if you receive unsolicited messages of this nature. … Government officials will never ask you to transfer money or invest funds through such communications.

Police also reported that three people had been arrested and charged on May 9 over suspected SIM card offenses linked to earlier cases involving the same scam.