Hong Kong: Adopted PCPD outline on combating fraud involving AI deepfake technology

On 1 August 2024, the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data of Hong Kong (PCPD) issued an outline on combating fraud involving Artificial Intelligence (AI) deepfake technology. The outline emphasised that PCPD received nearly 600 enquiries related to fraud in the first half of 2024, a 90% increase from the previous year. The outline noted that various tactics used to deceive individuals include hijacking instant messaging accounts to impersonate victims and send fraudulent messages, creating fake travel agency pages and advertisements on social media to sell non-existent products or solicit personal data, using AI deepfake technology to create convincing scam videos with manipulated images and voices of public figures, and impersonating customer service representatives over the phone to steal personal data and money. The outline advises individuals and organisations to be vigilant about data collection by verifying its purpose and avoiding suspicious links or websites, monitor accounts for unusual activities, protect passwords, minimise the sharing of biometric data on social media and instant messaging applications, authenticate identity of callers, and staying informed on fraud prevention advice from authorities.