Uncle Six 'AI-generated voice' used to lure Hounax investors

Stacy Shi

Veteran financial commentator Chan Wing-luk - better known as "Uncle Six" - says an AI-generated voice similar to his has lured people to invest in under-fire virtual asset exchange platform Hounax.

Chan said he does not have any personal social media accounts and will "definitely not" advise people to invest in virtual assets.

He said the deepfake voice seemed like it was him talking on radio.

Chan said scammers are using AI to replicate voices, facial expressions and even mouth shapes of celebrities and other notable figures.

Chan said on radio yesterday that he had not made any comments about virtual currency as he "knows nothing about virtual assets" and would never provide advice on virtual currency exchange.

He said he also saw fake "Uncle Sixes" on social media in which his photos and videos were used. Chan reported these to police.

Scammers invited victims into a WhatsApp group, where comments such as "This stock is good" or "I have made a lot of money in this group" would lure people to invest, Chan said. But he said no one can guarantee making money off virtual assets.

Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Center spokesman Alex Chan Chung-man, also speaking on radio, said scammers can generate video footage if they have a frontal photo and urged the public to stop sharing their biometrics, such as audio messages and photos, with strangers on social platforms.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the government will actively push forward amendments to give authority to regulatory bodies to protect investor interests as well as combat unlicensed, illegal and fraudulent platforms or websites.

His remarks came after Hounax allegedly scammed 145 victims out of HK$148 million.

Lee said the government will also actively consider the use of existing legislation, including legislation against money laundering, when dealing with illegal virtual asset platforms. He said handling of any criminal proceeds may constitute money laundering and virtual asset trading platform operators must comply with stringent controls under the SAR laws.

stacy.shi@singtaonewscorp.com