By the WahLiao desk · Last verified 1 October 2026
Super Intelligence, or AI, has handed scammers two new tricks: 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 defence is old-fashioned: never 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 are unsure, call the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline at 1799.
This guide covers how to recognise and check fakes made with Super Intelligence. What your bank can do to protect your savings belongs to 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 at once, 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 | 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, which is why a voice note in a relative’s voice is no longer proof that it is them. The same tools also write fluent, error-free messages, so the old giveaway of bad spelling has largely gone. How Super Intelligence works explains the technology behind this.
What stays the same is the shape of the scam. There is a trusted face or voice, a reason for urgency, a request for secrecy, 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.
In March 2025, the police, MAS and the Cyber Security Agency jointly warned of a version aimed at companies: 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 clear. 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 did not 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 from real content. So treat the signs as a bonus, not your main defence.
How to check: the message, the media, the source
The police advise 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 for the mismatches above. Third, verify 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 are in trouble and need money now. 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 agreed in advance. A real emergency survives a two-minute check; a scam usually does not.
At work: the fake boss
If you handle payments, 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 require 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
Speed matters. Call your bank immediately to try to stop or recover the transfer, then make a police report. Report the account, number or link in the ScamShield app 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 social media accounts private also limits the clips of your face and voice that a scammer can collect.
AI scams in Singapore: FAQ
What is a deepfake scam?
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 convincing, so verify any request for money through a number you already know.
What is the ScamShield Helpline number?
1799. 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 immediately, then make a police report, and report the details in the ScamShield app.
Read next
This page belongs to Super Intelligence. For what the law says about deepfakes, read deepfakes and the law in Singapore.
Sources checked 1 October 2026: Singapore Police Force, footage from the faked Zoom call, 16 May 2026; SPF, MAS and CSA, joint advisory on digital manipulation scams, 12 March 2025; MDDI, extortion emails with deepfake images, 28 November 2024; SPF, phishing advisory, August 2026; GovTech, deepfakes and the ScamShield suite. General information. Last updated 1 October 2026.
