Hong Kong Law Enforcement Busts Deepfake Fraud Ring
Date: 2025-01-07 Author: Oliver Abernathy Categories: IN WORLD
Police have arrested 31 members of a criminal network that profited from deepfake fraud. The group's total revenue was more than HK$34 million, equivalent to approximately US$4.37 million. According to law enforcement, the criminals rented two premises in industrial buildings where they carried out their fraudulent activities. They used fake images of beautiful women created using artificial intelligence to lure victims.
The group members worked in two shifts, luring young people with promises of quick money from successful scams. In order to catch victims, they actively used dating apps, tracking potential targets in Southeast Asian countries such as Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia. The recruits were trained in creating fake identities so that they could manipulate people into believing in romantic relationships and inviting them to invest in fictitious cryptocurrency platforms.
One of the typical techniques of the scammers was to create an image of a successful person using bright photos from life, as well as faking video calls using neural network technologies, which allowed them to change the face on the screen. In this way, the scammers deceived gullible people, promising them profitable investments.
During the searches, the police seized cash, designer clothes, and expensive watches. Most of the detainees said they were unemployed, and several people turned out to be students. However, five participants in the criminal scheme were charged with fraud and will appear in court on January 6. The rest were released on bail.
It should be noted that this is not the first case of such crimes being exposed. In October 2024, Hong Kong authorities already stopped a similar fraudulent scheme. Now law enforcement officers are trying to establish a connection between the two cases. In September 2024, CertiK warned that AI and deepfake attacks could extend beyond video and audio to include cryptocurrency wallets.
