Sammy Leung (right) gets a video call from someone claiming to be actress-director Sandra Ng (left). Photos: Sandra Ng/Instagram, Sammy Leung/Instagram
Scammers are getting more creative with their attempts these days, including manipulating famous faces in video calls.
On Dec 29, Hong Kong actor Sammy Leung shared an Instagram Reel documenting a video call from someone claiming to be actress-director Sandra Ng.
The scammer, likely using a deepfake or face filter, told Leung that she had been "sold to Cambodia by a director" and desperately needed HK$5,000 (RM2,880) to take a boat back to Hong Kong.
Speaking in Mandarin-accented Cantonese, the impersonator even provided a bank account number for the funds.
Sammy, 51, however cut the caller off by asking questions: "Which director? Are you filming Romance At KK Park?"
KK Park refers to a site in Myanmar linked to human trafficking and scam operations.
The scammer, perhaps caught off guard, abruptly ended the call, but Leung wasn’t done.
He posted the video on Instagram, tagging the real Sandra Ng and cheekily asking if she needed rescuing from Cambodia.
“Deepfakes are really getting quite realistic these days,” Leung wrote in his caption.
“Just by looking at the appearance, there's a real chance of mistaking it for the real person.
“Except for the accent... it’s about 60-70% convincing!.”
Netizens were quick to join the fun, leaving comments like: “The voice is so convincing; if you told me it was actually her doing the voiceover, I’d believe it.”, "Hurry and save Sister Ng!” and “Big bro, did you start filming a New Year movie with her?”
While the situation provided laughs, Leung used the opportunity to warn the public about the growing sophistication of scams.
“There are more and more phone scams these days. Everyone really needs to find ways to spot deepfake fraud. Stay smart”
