Singapore Police Force has obtained footage from a Zoom video conference used in a scam involving the impersonation of senior government officials, following a police advisory issued on 14 May 2026.
Police said the Zoom call used deepfake AI to fabricate images and videos of senior officials. In this scam variant, victims received a WhatsApp message from a scammer impersonating the Secretary to the Cabinet, instructing them to attend an online meeting with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
Victims were then invited to a Zoom video conference that appeared to include Wong and other local and overseas government officials. Police said the call was fabricated, with some portions edited using deepfake technology.
According to police, the footage showed a fabricated discussion about the situation in the Straits of Hormuz. The call purported to include President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Minister Indranee Rajah and representatives from the Monetary Authority of Singapore, alongside foreign officials including Canada’s Foreign Minister and a senior diplomatic adviser to the President of the United Arab Emirates. Police said the call also included purported private-sector participants including Blackrock and the Dubai International Financial Centre, with the victim introduced as one of the private-sector attendees.
Police said the video conference ended with a deepfake video of Wong delivering closing remarks, including an acknowledgement of the victim’s attendance. After the call, a scammer posing as a lawyer contacted the victim and convinced them to transfer money.
Police highlighted indicators of deepfake manipulation observed in the footage, including speech that did not synchronise with speakers’ lips, audio broadcast through a single account rather than individual participants, and a distorted background with a partially obscured Zoom logo that did not align with the foreground.
In its public advisory, the Singapore Police Force said deepfake fabrications can be sophisticated and difficult to distinguish from authentic content, urging members of the public to remain vigilant, particularly when contacted virtually.
Police said Singapore government officials will never ask individuals over email, phone or video calls to transfer money, disclose bank login details, install mobile apps from unofficial app stores, or transfer calls to the police or other government officials.
Members of the public who encounter possible scams, false news or advertisements on social media were advised to report them to the platform administrator or the police. Police also said individuals can call the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline at 1799 to verify suspicious approaches.
The advisory also encouraged the public to intervene if family or friends are sharing suspected deepfake scam content, and to verify information through official sources. Police referred readers to Cyber Security Agency of Singapore guidance on detecting and responding to deepfake scams.
