Portuguese 
Spanish 
Scammers Used Deepfake Technology to Simulate Faces and Voices of Colleagues During a Video Conference and Convinced an Employee to Transfer US$ 25 Million.
A millionaire scam involving deepfake technology surprised authorities and raised a global alert. A finance employee at a multinational based in Hong Kong was deceived and transferred over US$ 25 million, about R$ 140 million, to scammers who simulated a video conference with colleagues and superiors from the company.
The scam occurred in early February 2024.
Deepfake in Video Conference with Multiple People
According to the Hong Kong police, the scam started with an email supposedly sent by the company’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO), based in the United Kingdom.
-
Cape Verde’s World Cup Surprise: Betting on Electric Cars, a 5 MW Solar Plant, and an Ambitious Plan to Transform Energy for 600,000 Residents
-
Man Finds 1,469 Ancient Roman Silver Coins While Metal Detecting in Romania
-
Young Brazilian Siblings Go Viral for Catching Giant Fish, Launch Sport Fishing Project
-
72-Year-Old Retired Professor from Rural Brazil Recites 247 Digits of Pi in One Minute, Setting National Memory Record
The message mentioned a secret transaction worth US$ 200 million. Suspicious, the employee hesitated but agreed to join a virtual meeting to clarify the operation.
During the video conference, the supposed CFO and other familiar faces were present. However, none of them were real.
All were digital clones created with deepfake technology, capable of accurately mimicking voices and appearances. Calmed by the meeting, the employee followed the instructions and made the transfer of US$ 25.6 million.
No Real Interaction and Abrupt Ending
After the conference, the employee continued his work as usual. In retrospect, he reported that the participants of the call seemed to not interact naturally, merely giving instructions and quickly ending the meeting.
The scam was only discovered when the employee contacted headquarters to confirm the transaction and was informed that no one in the company was aware of the operation.
According to Senior Superintendent Baron Chan Shun-ching, this is the first case in Hong Kong where criminals used deepfake in a video conference with multiple people to carry out a scam.
The police emphasized that the technology was used to simulate faces and voices reading a carefully planned script.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are warning about the rise of scams using deepfake.
