Hong Kong police arrest 6 in crackdown on fraud syndicate using AI deepfake technology to apply for loans
- Force says case marks first known instance of scammers with stolen ID cards employing deepfake to fleece financial agencies
- Police remind public to be aware of signs of deepfakes in video calls, such as unnatural eye or mouth movements
Hong Kong police have arrested six people in a crackdown on a fraud syndicate that used artificial intelligence (AI) to create doctored images for loan scams targeting banks and money-lenders.
Superintendent Dicken Ko Tik of the cyber security and technology crime bureau on Friday said it was the first time police had discovered scammers employing the so-called deepfake technology to deceive financial institutions.
“The racket used an AI face-changing programme, commonly known as deepfake technology, to apply for loans online with financial institutions,” he said.
According to police, the syndicate used eight stolen Hong Kong identity cards and bogus documents, including proofs of address and income, to apply for loans online.
As financial institutions required applicants to scan and upload their identification documents as well as provide real-time selfies during the online application process, Ko said scammers utilised AI-generated images to mimic people on the stolen identity cards.
He said an investigation revealed that the syndicate made at least 20 online loan applications using the technology in a bid to deceive facial recognition systems used by money-lenders to verify applicant identities.
He said one of the 20 applications was approved, involving a loan of HK$70,000 (US$8,937).