Deepfakes of Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong are circulating online and being used to sell cryptocurrency, money-making schemes and permanent residency application services, the country’s leader said on Friday.

In posts on social media platforms Facebook and X, Wong said he has seen some of the videos online. He urged people to stay vigilant and to not respond to such scams or share personal information. The posts included screenshots of Wong beneath a red sign declaring they were scams.

The city-state has been doubling down on legislation and educational campaigns, and has ramped up its police response to combat a surge in financial scams and cybercrime cases in recent years.

Singapore’s parliament passed a law in January allowing the police to restrict the bank accounts of individuals who are suspected scam victims. The bill was originally targeted at protecting potential victims from scams conducted remotely, such as via phone calls or online platforms, but was then broadened to cover traditional cheating cases.

Scam victims in Singapore lost a record S$1.1 billion (HK$6.4 billion) in 2024, with the number of cases rising nearly 11 percent to 51,501 from the previous year, according to police data. The total sum lost jumped 70 percent from 2023. Many of the reported scams involved victims who voluntarily sent money from their bank accounts to scammers.

Earlier this week, the government said it will consider caning as punishment for some scam-related offenses. The country currently uses corporal punishment for crimes including extortion, serious sexual offenses and vandalism.

Bloomberg

ingapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong speaks during a signing ceremony and press conference at the Government House, in Bangkok, Thailand, November 28, 2024. REUTERS

Deepfakes of Singapore PM used to sell crypto, residency program