Privacy watchdog records near 90pc increase in scams targeting personal data

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) announced on Thursday that for the first half of 2024, they have recorded a near 90 percent increase in fraudulent activity targeting the personal data of the inquirers.

During the first half of 2024, the PCPD received nearly 600 inquiries relating to fraudulent activities targeting the personal data of the inquirers, which represented an increase of almost 90 percent compared to 312 cases year-on-year.

The PCPD also noted a surge in various types of scams, all of which aimed at swindling money along with personal data out of citizens.

The privacy watchdog remarked that they have taken notice of fraudsters using manipulated public footage or photos or audio recordings of government officials or celebrities to produce videos using AI deepfake technology to deceive people into investing in fake investment schemes.

Fraudsters also obtain victims’ biometric data, such as their facial images and voice, through social media, video calls, or online public footage to create videos using deepfake technology and impersonate victims’ friends, relatives, or colleagues to swindle money along with personal data.

To illustrate that it is easy to produce fake videos in the AI era, the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, Ada Chung Lai-ling, also recorded a video demonstrating instant face swapping through AI deepfake technology.

The privacy watchdog then raised six tips for the public to safeguard personal data privacy—urging them to be vigilant and think twice before providing any data, keep an eye out on their accounts and transactions, safeguard their passwords, make smart use of social media and avoid sharing personal data, verify the identity of the callers before providing their personal data, and pay heed to the fraud prevention information published by the PCPD, the Police or relevant organizations.