Over 100 public servants targeted in 'cheapfake' extortion

Over 100 Singapore public servants, including five Cabinet ministers, were targeted in an extortion scheme involving doctored images.

The emails featured doctored images purportedly screenshots from “compromising” videos. The recipients’ faces were digitally superimposed onto explicit images of a man and a woman in a seemingly intimate and compromising situation.

The content and images in all the emails were identical, with the exception of the recipients’ faces. The scammers demanded 50,000 USDT (a cryptocurrency) to suppress the fabricated content.

The manipulated faces were likely sourced from publicly available platforms like LinkedIn, the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) noted.

The 31 affected agencies include the Ministry of Manpower, Ministry of Education, Building and Construction Authority, and Singapore Tourism Board. Healthcare workers were also targeted.

MDDI revealed that 12 male political office-holders were affected. The five Cabinet ministers who received the extortion emails are:

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1. Chee Hong Tat, Minister for Transport
2. Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for Social and Family Development
3. Desmond Lee, Minister for National Development
4. Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth
5. Dr. Maliki Osman, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office

Seven other political office-holders were also targeted:

1. Dr. Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information, and Health
2. Tan Kiat How, Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information, and National Development
3. Dr. Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State for Manpower, and Sustainability and the Environment
4. Alvin Tan, Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth, and Trade and Industry
5. Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Minister of State for Home Affairs, and National Development
6. Baey Yam Keng, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, and Ministry of Transport
7. Eric Chua, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, and Ministry of Social and Family Development

Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo strongly condemned the extortion attempt, calling the tactics “despicable.” She noted the attacks employed “cheapfake” technology—manipulated content created with readily available tools.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) also condemned the act, reporting that emails were sent to staff from public healthcare institutions and urging vigilance.

In a news release on Nov 27, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) confirmed receiving over 20 reports regarding such emails. They cautioned against engaging with the scammers or transferring any money, urging victims to file a police report and include the email as evidence.

The SPF warned that with advancements in AI-powered tools, manipulated media might be increasingly used in scams. They advised individuals to avoid sharing provocative images online or through chat apps, as these could be exploited.