Deepfake extortion targets Singapore officials, highlighting growing cyber threat

“Singapore might not have obvious weaknesses, but its strong economy and global reputation make it a tempting target for cybercriminals,” said Ali Fazeli, a senior cyberthreat intelligence consultant at NexVision Lab.

“As a centre for finance, trade, and governance, it holds valuable information and influential people, making it more likely to face attacks aimed at its wealth and status.”

The manipulated images purportedly showed political officeholders and public officers in compromising positions, the city state’s digital development and information ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

The email content and images sent to victims were identical, except for the face of the individual in the image, which appeared to be taken from open sources such as LinkedIn, it added.