PETALING JAYA: Unscrupulous individuals are suspected of using artificial intelligence (AI)-generated images of women and falsely claiming they hold the title of Datuk to attract members of the public to investment schemes and charitable activities.
MCA Public Services and Complaints Bureau head Datuk Seri Michael Chong said the individuals had allegedly misused the identities of several prominent national figures to lend credibility to their claims and portray the women as having influential connections.
Among those whose identities were allegedly exploited were the Prime Minister and both the current and former Inspectors-General of Police, whose images appeared in Facebook posts promoting the women.
Chong said the alleged scam involved using honorary titles and purported connections to prominent figures to gain public trust before encouraging people to participate in investment opportunities or charitable initiatives.
He said his team first noticed the suspicious Facebook activity last week.
“Initially, we thought this was nothing out of the ordinary, but upon closer inspection, we discovered that the Prime Minister — as well as the former Inspector-General of Police and the current Inspector-General of Police — were being used in these posts.
“That was when the matter became very serious,” he said at a press conference.
According to Chong, the woman featured in the posts was portrayed as holding the title of Datuk. However, checks by his team failed to establish that she possessed any honorary title recognised in Malaysia.
He also alleged that the woman’s identity and images had been generated using AI technology.
Chong said the Facebook account remained active and continued publishing content, despite reportedly being taken down and restored several times.
He warned that the alleged misuse of honorary titles and prominent public figures’ identities could deceive members of the public into believing the woman was a genuine individual with connections to influential circles.
However, he said the bureau had yet to receive any complaints from individuals claiming to have suffered financial losses as a result of the account’s activities.
“So far, we have not received any complaints,” he said.
Chong added that it was difficult to establish whether those responsible were operating locally or from overseas.
“We cannot say with 100 per cent certainty that they are foreigners, nor can we say with 100 per cent certainty that they are locals,” he said.
He suspected that local individuals might be involved, noting that the account operator appeared familiar with prominent Malaysian figures and the specific groups that could be targeted.
