Viral scam dupes fans of Malaysia’s Siti Nurhaliza with AI-generated calls

Siti Nurhaliza took to her social media on Sunday to expose the fraudulent use of her face and voice, sharing a video of the fabricated calls that used an AI-generated simulation.

“Fake. Do not believe the scammers. They are using my name and picture, and even an AI voice to convince people,” she said.

“They also took my live videos with the intent to entrap and deceive people.”

The singer urged people to raise awareness of such these scams, emphasising: “I have never organised any contests or offered cash rewards to anyone. Do not be deceived when receiving these messages and video calls.”

Numerous fraudsters have exploited her identity and image, often targeting the elderly, Siti Nurhaliza said.

Malaysian Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil called for members of the public to be wary of scam tactics involving the dissemination of fake videos and images or deepfakes created through AI.

He noted that Siti Nurhaliza had shown in her Instagram post “a WhatsApp video call that seemed as if she was talking, when it is actually a live deepfake”.

“AI can be used for good and evil,” he said at the ministry’s monthly assembly on Monday, as reported by Bernama. “We need to be cautious of the information received and ensure any video received is genuine or produced through an AI application.”

Fahmi called on the Bernama news agency and Radio Televisyen Malaysia to publicise and educate the public on the dangers of scam tactics using AI deepfakes.

“I hope the issue of AI-generated deepfakes can be addressed by Meta as WhatsApp is under Meta’s responsibility,” he said.

Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf, the director of Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department, urged victims of scams involving fake videos and images created using AI to lodge a