KUALA LUMPUR: Even Lee Chong Wei has been targeted by scammers. Recently a deep fake video of the former world No. 1 appeared on social media calling for investment.
Chong Wei revealed this to Timesport today, as he joined the fight against scammers after shuttler Lai Pei Jing lost her life savings in a bogus investment scheme.
Chong Wei said Malaysians must be vigilant at all times, and if an investment or product appears too good to be true, it is most likely a scam.
He revealed that many of his relatives and friends have fallen victims to scam syndicates and swindlers around the world.
"My advice is when you see my face on product posters or investment schemes, check it against my official social media accounts. If I did not post about it, then it's a fake," said Chong Wei.
He said the rise of AI (artificial intelligence) has complicated the detection and prevention of these scams.
The three-time Olympic silver medallist said he has been collaborating with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, and the Royal Malaysian Police to fight this social evil.
"Recently, there has been a deep fake video of me circulating on social media, talking about an investment.
"I have more than 2,000 friends and relatives on my contact list. I can't possibly be messaging everyone all the time to educate them on these scammers and their tactics; even I don't know everything.
"The problem with these syndicates is that when you shut 50 down, 100 new ones will come up the following day. So how do we stop them?" lamented Chong Wei.
Recalling an incident when his wife, Datin Wong Mew Choo, nearly fell victim to a Macau scam syndicate right in front of him at home, Chong Wei said: "I quickly grabbed the phone from her to ask who it was on the other side.
"A person, claiming to be an investigating police officer, was asking Mew Choo for her personal details.
"I told the person that no police officer would discuss personal details over the phone, and the person started raising her voice. I raised my voice, too, and challenged the person to charge me, after which she hung up.
"These scammers are getting out of hand. Pei Jing is a friend of mine, and she called me when it happened. I can only offer words of comfort.
"I hope that the authorities will beef up their SOPs (standard operating procedure) and intelligence to try and nab the masterminds behind these syndicates."
According to a report earlier this year, the Dewan Negara was told that a total of 34,497 cases of online scams involving losses of RM1.218 billion were reported nationwide last year.
Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said based on the 2023 statistics, telecommunications crime cases such as SMS contest scams, online impersonation scams, and phone call scams were among the highest recorded cases, with 10,348 cases involving losses totalling RM352.9 million.