Thailand's Prime Minister Targeted By AI Phone Scam Mimicking World Leaders

Phone scams are a significant issue in India and other parts of the world, with numerous reports about call centres operating from the country and scamming people, often by impersonating government officials or tech support, to trick victims into sending money; they frequently cover news stories about these scams, including busts by police and warnings about new tactics used by fraudsters.

Typically, these calls target ordinary people, but Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra revealed that she fell victim to an AI-driven phone scam. The scammer demanded money from her by using a cloned voice of a well-known world leader and claiming that her country was the only ASEAN nation yet to contribute. The prime minister recognised the fake voice but was shocked by the scam's sophistication, pointing out how the threat of AI-enabled fraud is growing.

According to CNN, Paetongtarn Shinawatra did not reveal who the computer was mimicking but said she received a message in a voice identical to a well-known leader.

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"The voice was very clear, and I recognised it immediately. They first sent a voice clip, saying something like, 'How are you? I want to work together,' and so on," Paetongtarn told CNN.

She said she later missed a call from the same number, then received a voice message that cut to the chase: "They sent another voice message asking for a donation, saying, 'You are the only country in (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) that hasn't donated yet,' emphasising it. I was taken aback for a moment and realised something was off."

She said whoever sent the message "probably used AI to take the voice" of the unnamed world leader.

Scams or scam centres are not uncommon in Southeast Asia. In recent years, investigators say transnational crime organisations have exploited technological advances and the civil war in Myanmar to build a billion-dollar industry scamming people across the world.