Union official loses $50k in AI scam using voice of labor-sector lawmaker

Cheng Wong

A council member of the Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions was defrauded of HK$40,000 to HK$50,000 after receiving a call from a scammer who used an artificial intelligence-generated voice mimicking labor sector lawmaker Chau Siu-chung.

This incident follows a series of scams targeting lawmakers, including e-mails that accused them of "serious misconduct" and featured AI-generated photos and videos.

Chau said that the council member received the scam call on Tuesday, November 26. The call began with a voice saying: "I'm Chau Siu-chung."

Although the call did not originate from Chau's actual phone number, the voice was convincing enough to deceive the member.

After the initial call, the member was instructed to contact the scammer via WhatsApp from a different number.

The scammer claimed there was an urgent need for money and requested that the council member meet him at 10am the following day at a footbridge near the Legislative Council.

On the morning of Wednesday, November 27, the scammer asked the member to transfer money to a specified account, "Come to my office after transferring, and I'll return it to you in cash."

However, when the member arrived, the scammer did not show up.

Concerned, he contacted Chau for verification, only to discover he had been defrauded.

He subsequently reported the incident to the police.

Chau expressed his disbelief at the situation, saying he had known the council member for many years and never expected him to fall victim to such a scam.

"This is unusual; instead of hacking my phone, the scammer used a different number and mimicked my voice," Chau said.

He added that the scammer appeared to understand their routine, knowing that meetings are held every Wednesday at 11am in the Legislative Council.

"This tactic is more sophisticated than previous scams, and I find it quite unsettling," Chau added.

He urged the public to remain cautious and vigilant against unfamiliar calls, emphasizing the importance of verifying the caller's identity, especially when money transfers are involved.

A similar case occurred earlier this year in February when a finance worker at a multinational firm was tricked into transferring HK$200 million of the company's funds after scammers used AI-generated technology to impersonate the company's chief financial officer and other staff during an online meeting.