Hong Kong police arrested 31 members of a criminal syndicate that used deepfake technology to perpetrate scams, The Star reported.
The gang lured victims with romance and investment pitches. Its takings exceeded HK$34 million (about $4.37 million).
Hong Kong police’s Commercial Crime Bureau said the syndicate rented two units in adjacent industrial buildings to “carry out fraudulent activities that included showing victims fake images of beautiful women from the internet”.
Members worked in two shifts, recruiting young people with promises of quick money for successful scams.
“New recruits were taught to use various dating apps to track targets, who were usually in Taiwan or in [Southeast] Asia, for example, in Singapore and Malaysia,” law enforcement explained.
The scammers forged their identities with AI tools and duped victims into ‘romantic relationships’. They then urged them to invest in a bogus, overseas-based digital-asset platform.
A typical scam profile on dating apps featured an attractive persona, a flaunted wealthy lifestyle and photos from major crypto conferences.
At times the perpetrators spoke to victims over video, using neural networks to replace their faces.
During the raids, officers seized cash, designer goods and luxury watches. Most of those held said they were unemployed; some were students.
Among them were five syndicate members charged with conspiracy to defraud. They will appear in court on January 6th; the others were released on bail.
In October 2024, Hong Kong authorities disrupted a similar scheme. Police are now looking for links between the two cases.
In September, CertiK warned of AI- and deepfake-enabled attacks moving beyond video and audio. They could target crypto wallets.