Get all your news in one place.

100's of premium titles.
One app.

Get all your news in one place.

100's of premium titles. One news app.

TechRadar

Alex Blake

WhatsApp scam costs Hong Kong man $1.27 million after criminals used AI voice notes to impersonate his father — experts say secret codewords are the best way to stay safe

WhatsApp Hong Kong

A hand holding a phone showing a call from an unknown number.

Scammers stole $1.27m from a Hong Kong man after tricking him with AI
The scheme impersonated his father using AI deepfake tech
Experts say using a secret codeword can thwart the fraudsters

A Hong Kong man was recently conned out of HK$10 million ($1.27 million) by scammers who used artificial intelligence (AI) on WhatsApp to impersonate his father and request the payments, highlighting the dangers of trusting increasingly realistic AI tools. Yet experts say there’s a simple trick that can save you from suffering a similar fate.

Sign up to read this article

Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.

Already a member? Sign in here

Top stories on inkl right now

Eddie Johnson Backs 3-Year-Old Soccer Player After Police Row as Ms Rachel Calls for Sports Stars To Show Up

Eddie Johnson Backs 3-Year-Old Soccer Player After Police Row as Ms Rachel Calls for Sports Stars To Show Up

Former US soccer player Eddie Johnson has offered three-year-old Nevada a place in his training programme after a police dispute at a Florida youth soccer match.

International Business Times UK

Florida 3-year-old's soccer skills spark league row; police called

Florida 3-year-old's soccer skills spark league row; police called

A three-year-old boy named Nevada Pierre has gone viral after a dispute at a youth soccer game in Winter Park, Florida, led a league official to call the police. Videos shared by his family show the toddler dribbling past older opponents and scoring goals, prompting his parents to allege that…

The Times of India

California court revives $1M lawsuit over 3-year delay in approving a homeowner’s second dwelling

California court revives $1M lawsuit over 3-year delay in approving a homeowner’s second dwelling

In a legal battle, California resident Wei Shi has taken the City of Palos Verdes Estates to court, claiming excessive delays in the approval of his accessory dwelling unit application. Shi asserts that the city violated state law’s requirements for prompt reviews. Thanks to a favorable ruling from an appeals…

The Times of India

Trump's bid to block California mail ballots over 'non-citizen' voters hits court roadblock

Trump's bid to block California mail ballots over 'non-citizen' voters hits court roadblock

A US appeals court denied the Trump administration's request to prevent California from counting mail ballots from alleged 'non-citizens'. This ruling is part of the administration's ongoing efforts regarding voter eligibility and non-citizen voting. The Justice Department claimed some individuals on the voter list were charged with illegal voting. Voting…

The Times of India

One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites

Already a member? Sign in here

Arizona rejects 3,000-acre data centre plan near Eloy despite scaled-back design

Arizona rejects 3,000-acre data centre plan near Eloy despite scaled-back design

Arizona officials were set to decide on a proposed data centre development covering more than 3,000 acres of rural land near Eloy, after developer Vermaland reduced the planned campus by 80% following local opposition. The La Osa Energy Centre proposal includes 11 data centre buildings, an on-site gas-fired power plant…

The Times of India

Justice department charges ex-FBI director James Comey for third time

Justice department charges ex-FBI director James Comey for third time

Comey, an outspoken critic of Donald Trump, accused of leaking information related to US national defense

The Guardian - US

Related Stories

Top stories on inkl right now

Eddie Johnson Backs 3-Year-Old Soccer Player After Police Row as Ms Rachel Calls for Sports Stars To Show Up

Eddie Johnson Backs 3-Year-Old Soccer Player After Police Row as Ms Rachel Calls for Sports Stars To Show Up

Former US soccer player Eddie Johnson has offered three-year-old Nevada a place in his training programme after a police dispute at a Florida youth soccer match.

International Business Times UK

Florida 3-year-old's soccer skills spark league row; police called

Florida 3-year-old's soccer skills spark league row; police called

A three-year-old boy named Nevada Pierre has gone viral after a dispute at a youth soccer game in Winter Park, Florida, led a league official to call the police. Videos shared by his family show the toddler dribbling past older opponents and scoring goals, prompting his parents to allege that…

The Times of India

California court revives $1M lawsuit over 3-year delay in approving a homeowner’s second dwelling

California court revives $1M lawsuit over 3-year delay in approving a homeowner’s second dwelling

In a legal battle, California resident Wei Shi has taken the City of Palos Verdes Estates to court, claiming excessive delays in the approval of his accessory dwelling unit application. Shi asserts that the city violated state law’s requirements for prompt reviews. Thanks to a favorable ruling from an appeals…

The Times of India

Trump's bid to block California mail ballots over 'non-citizen' voters hits court roadblock

Trump's bid to block California mail ballots over 'non-citizen' voters hits court roadblock

A US appeals court denied the Trump administration's request to prevent California from counting mail ballots from alleged 'non-citizens'. This ruling is part of the administration's ongoing efforts regarding voter eligibility and non-citizen voting. The Justice Department claimed some individuals on the voter list were charged with illegal voting. Voting…

The Times of India

One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites

Already a member? Sign in here

Arizona rejects 3,000-acre data centre plan near Eloy despite scaled-back design

Arizona rejects 3,000-acre data centre plan near Eloy despite scaled-back design

Arizona officials were set to decide on a proposed data centre development covering more than 3,000 acres of rural land near Eloy, after developer Vermaland reduced the planned campus by 80% following local opposition. The La Osa Energy Centre proposal includes 11 data centre buildings, an on-site gas-fired power plant…

The Times of India

Justice department charges ex-FBI director James Comey for third time

Justice department charges ex-FBI director James Comey for third time

Comey, an outspoken critic of Donald Trump, accused of leaking information related to US national defense

The Guardian - US

Our Picks

Lesbian bar that sparked Hollywood interest with bizarre Covid mask feud is closing

The Independent UK

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's Allegedly Scrapped Wedding Plans Revealed: 'Not a Children's Party'

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce reportedly abandoned plans for a £5.2 million carousel before their New York wedding, according to media reports and unnamed sources.

International Business Times UK

Dancing With the Stars co-host responds to ex-contestant claiming show is ‘rigged’

Hit ABC competition series is currently airing season 35

The Independent UK

These are the most mispronounced words in the US

Americans struggled to pronounce the name of a popular dog breed, a British sauce and a word from a hit Disney movie

The Independent UK

Lana Del Rey Hands $100 to Woman Escaping Abuse, Sparking Online Debate

Lana Del Rey said she gave $100 and advice to a woman who approached her car in Los Angeles while fleeing an abusive relationship, prompting mixed online reactions.

International Business Times UK

“I’ve Never Seen This Before”: Animal-Trainer Stunned After A Budgie Naps In His Daughter’s Hair

One tiny budgie decided a young girl’s braids made the perfect bed, and even her animal-trainer dad had never seen anything like it.

Fourteen days free

Download the app

One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.

Download on the AppStore

Get it on Google Play