AI Deepfake Scams in Singapore 2026: How to Check

By the WahLiao desk · Last verified 3 October 2026

Super Intelligence, or AI, has given scammers two new tools: video that puts a real person’s face on a fake call, and audio that copies a real person’s voice. Both have been used in Singapore. In May 2026 the police released footage of a fabricated Zoom call in which deepfakes of the Prime Minister and other senior officials appeared, staged to persuade a business professional to transfer money. The best defence is a simple, old-fashioned one: don’t send money or codes because of a call, video or voice note alone, and check through a number or channel you already know. If you’re unsure, you can call the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline at 1799.

These fakes can be very convincing, and people who are careful and sensible are still taken in. If it has happened to you or someone close to you, it isn’t a sign of foolishness, and help is there. This guide covers how to recognise and check fakes made with Super Intelligence. What your bank can do to protect your savings is covered by The Ledger, which explains Money Lock and the Shared Responsibility Framework.

AI scams: quick facts

What is new	Faces and voices can be faked, in pre-recorded clips or on live-looking calls
Seen in Singapore	Faked video calls with senior government officials (2026); fake company bosses ordering fund transfers (2025)
Officials will never	Ask you to transfer money, give bank log-in details, install apps from unofficial stores, or transfer your call to the police
To check	The 24/7 ScamShield Helpline, 1799
Protection	The ScamShield app for calls and messages; Money Lock and transfer limits at your bank
If you have paid	Call your bank straight away, then make a police report

The WahLiao Verdict

The rule	No money or codes on the strength of a call, video or voice note.
The check	Hang up and call back on a number you already have.
The family habit	Agree a code word for real emergencies.
The tell	Urgency, secrecy and a new way to pay.
If in doubt	Call 1799.

How the fakes are made

A deepfake is video, audio or an image that has been synthetically created or altered, usually with Super Intelligence tools. A scammer can take public clips of someone speaking, from a news interview or a social media post, and produce video of that face saying new words. Voice tools can copy the sound and rhythm of a voice from a short recording, so a voice note in a relative’s voice is no longer proof that it’s really them. The same tools also write fluent, error-free messages, which means the old giveaway of bad spelling has largely gone. If you’d like to understand the technology behind this, how Super Intelligence works explains it.

What hasn’t changed is the shape of the scam. There’s a trusted face or voice, a reason to hurry, a request to keep it secret, and a payment or a code at the end.

The Singapore cases

In the case the police described in May 2026, the victim first received a WhatsApp message from a scammer impersonating the Secretary to the Cabinet, inviting them to a meeting with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. The Zoom call that followed appeared to include President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, the Prime Minister, a minister, representatives of the Monetary Authority of Singapore and foreign officials, and it ended with a deepfake of the Prime Minister acknowledging the victim’s attendance. Afterwards, a scammer posing as a lawyer contacted the victim and persuaded them to transfer money. News reports put one victim’s loss at S$4.9 million or more.

In March 2025, the police, MAS and the Cyber Security Agency jointly warned of a version aimed at companies, in which scammers used deepfakes of senior executives to instruct staff to move money out of company accounts. And in November 2024, more than 30 government agencies received extortion emails containing manipulated images of public officers’ faces. The pattern is a sobering one: the more senior and trusted the face, the more useful it is to a scammer.

The signs police spotted

In the faked Zoom call, the police identified three giveaways: speech that didn’t match the movement of the speakers’ lips; all of the speech coming through one account rather than from each participant; and a distorted background, with the Zoom logo partly hidden and out of line with the foreground. None of these is guaranteed to appear in the next fake, and the police warn that deepfakes can be hard to tell apart from real content. So it’s best to treat the signs as a bonus, not your main defence.

How to check: the message, the media, the source

The police suggest looking at three things. First, the message: is the source who it claims to be, does the request fit how that person or organisation actually behaves, and is it pushing you to do something urgent, unsafe or unusual, such as downloading an app, clicking a link, giving personal details or moving money? Second, the audio and video: look out for the mismatches above. Third, check with official sources before you act. Singapore government officials will never ask you to transfer money or disclose bank log-in details over email, phone or video call.

The voice-clone call from family

The most personal version is a call or voice note in a family member’s voice, saying they’re in trouble and need money now. It’s natural to want to help at once. Take a breath, hang up, then call them back on the number saved in your phone. Ask something only they would know, or use a family code word you’ve agreed in advance. A real emergency will survive a two-minute check; a scam usually won’t.

At work: the fake boss

If you handle payments, it helps to agree a rule that no transfer is made on the strength of a call or video alone, however senior the person appears. Call back on a known number, and ask for a second person to approve large or unusual transfers. The police specifically advise firms to warn the staff who make fund transfers about this scam.

If you have already paid

Please don’t blame yourself, and please act quickly, because speed matters. Call your bank straight away to try to stop or recover the transfer, then make a police report. Report the account, number or link in the ScamShield app too, so others are protected. For how losses from phishing are shared between you, your bank and your telco, see The Ledger’s guide to the Shared Responsibility Framework.

Before it happens

Install the ScamShield app, which filters suspected scam messages and lets you report calls, messages and links. Turn on two-factor authentication for your bank accounts and e-wallets, set sensible limits on transfers and PayNow, and consider Money Lock for savings you rarely touch. Keeping your social media accounts private also limits the clips of your face and voice that a scammer can collect. It’s worth a quiet chat with older parents and relatives about all this, too.

AI scams in Singapore: FAQ

What is a deepfake scam?

It’s a scam that uses synthetically created or altered video, audio or images, often made with AI, to impersonate someone you trust, such as a family member, your boss or a government official.

How can I tell if a video call is a deepfake?

Look for speech out of sync with lips, all voices coming through one account, and distorted backgrounds. But fakes can be very convincing, so check any request for money through a number you already know.

What is the ScamShield Helpline number?

It’s 1799, and it runs 24 hours a day, every day.

Would a Singapore government official ask me to transfer money?

No. Officials will never ask you to transfer money, give bank log-in details, install apps from unofficial stores or transfer your call to the police.

What should I do if I have sent money to a scammer?

Call your bank straight away, then make a police report, and report the details in the ScamShield app. It can happen to anyone, so please don’t wait out of embarrassment.