Quick Look
- Changhua police report a rise in AI deepfake scams using celebrity and public figure likenesses, including hospital director Chen Mu-kuan, to promote fake medical advice and products.
- Authorities urge caution and verification.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
A video circulating on social media uses AI deepfake technology to impersonate Changhua Christian Hospital Superintendent Chen Mu-kuan, promoting false medical advice and unknown products. This is part of a broader trend of AI-driven scams.
2026/06/02 12:29 Reporter Tang Shih-ming / Changhua Report
Changhua County Police Bureau Director Chen Shih-huang (left 1), Changhua Christian Hospital Superintendent Chen Mu-kuan (left 2), and entertainer Wang Chung-ping (left 3) inspect the police's anti-fraud achievements. (Reporter Tang Shih-ming photo)
A video has recently been circulating on social media (platforms like Facebook), using AI deepfake technology to maliciously impersonate Changhua Christian Hospital Superintendent Chen Mu-kuan, his voice, and his name, inserting false medical advice or recommending unknown products to defraud the public. Chen Mu-kuan appeared today (2nd) at a press conference held by the Changhua County Police Bureau to combat fraud and shared his experience. He never imagined he would be endorsing products for quitting betel nut, preventing snoring, and knee protection. He emphasized that the AI-forged voice and expressions were so lifelike that a nurse was almost deceived. The public, if they see suspicious videos, should not rush to purchase; immediately log in to the official website of Changhua Christian Hospital or call 165 to verify the authenticity, to avoid being scammed.
Changhua County Police Bureau Director Chen Shih-huang announced that in April, 592 fraud cases were accepted, with financial losses amounting to NT$120.74 million. The financial loss from fraud hit a two-year low. To date, the police have dismantled 57 fraud groups and arrested 441 individuals. In collaboration with banks, they have successfully intercepted NT$137.84 million in fraudulent remittances. Additionally, 758 drug-related cases were investigated, with a total of 15,924 grams of various drugs seized, and 330 drunk driving cases were prosecuted.
Artiste Wang Chung-ping, serving as an anti-fraud ambassador, shared that he once received a call from someone claiming to be from the "Taichung Household Registration Office." The caller said, "Your uncle is using your ID card to process a household registration at the counter." He immediately saw through the deception and couldn't help but criticize the scam group on Facebook as "lawless and spewing nonsense!"
Director Chen Shih-huang stated that illegal groups are using AI deepfake technology to impersonate famous individuals, their voices, and names to recommend specific medications and nutritional supplements with exaggerated efficacy. The public should be immediately vigilant if they encounter videos with the following characteristics: stiff and unnatural expressions, rigid blinking, and mouth movements out of sync with the voice. These are often signs of AI deepfake synthesis.
Changhua Christian Hospital Superintendent Chen Mu-kuan (left), who was impersonated in an AI scam, appears to share his experience. (Reporter Tang Shih-ming photo)
Changhua County Police Bureau Director Chen Shih-huang emphasized that the financial loss from fraud in April hit a two-year low. (Reporter Tang Shih-ming photo)
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Open Questions
- What specific products were being promoted in the deepfake videos?
- How widespread is the use of AI deepfakes for scams in Taiwan?
- What measures are being taken to combat AI-generated misinformation?
- What is the estimated financial loss from these specific deepfake scams?
