AI in practice

Multinational reportedly loses HKD 200 million to deepfake fraud

Matthias Bastian
An editorial-style, hand-drawn illustration in 16:9 aspect ratio, depicting a digital clone of a person. The illustration is sophisticated and thought-provoking, with the digital clone portrayed in a realistic yet subtly altered manner to suggest duplication and artificiality. The background is elegant and minimalistic, focusing the viewer's attention on the digital clone. The style is refined and professional, suitable for an editorial context.

Midjourney prompted by THE DECODER

The Hong Kong branch of a multinational company lost HK$200 million (US$25.6 million) to deepfake fraudsters. The fraudsters used publicly available video and audio footage to create convincing digital representations of the company's finance director and other employees. They instructed a finance employee to carry out a transaction totaling HK$200 million. The employee made 15 wire transfers to five Hong Kong bank accounts before realizing it was a scam. Hong Kong police are investigating the case and warning of the growing use of deepfake technology for fraud. Senior Inspector Tyler Chan Chi-wing recommended verifying the authenticity of people in video calls by asking them to move their head or ask questions.