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Police investigate deepfake scam depicting President Lee promoting fraudulent AI investment platform

Published: 14 Oct. 2025, 22:04

A deepfake video featuring President Lee Jae Myung encouraging people to make investments in an AI platform [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Police have launched a preliminary investigation into a deepfake scam circulating online that falsely features President Lee Jae Myung endorsing an AI-based investment platform.

The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency’s cyber investigation unit said Tuesday that it has opened a probe into EquiloomPRO, a fraudulent website posing as an artificial intelligence investment service.

The site has uploaded AI-generated videos and fake news clips on social media, claiming that users can earn stable monthly returns by investing through the platform. In one video, a current Korean news anchor introduces Equiloom, portraying it as if it were a government-certified investment vehicle.

President Lee then appears in the video, describing Equiloom as “a life-changing opportunity” and claiming that investing just 300,000 won ($210) per month could yield returns of 24 million to 30 million won.

The video contains segments in which the president appears to speak with awkward phrasing and unnatural pronunciation — clues that suggest the footage was generated by a non-Korean speaker using AI technology.

The fake interview further claims that any Korean national aged 18 or older can invest in Equiloom and make substantial profits. The website encourages visitors to submit their name, email and mobile number, and to deposit a minimum of 350,000 won to begin investing.

Police, who became aware of the scam independently, said they consider the incident serious due to the use of the president’s face and voice in the AI-generated content. Authorities opened a preliminary investigation into the investment fraud on Monday.

A police official declined to offer further details, saying only that “two clips involving the fake video and interview have been confirmed.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HYEON YE-SEUL [[email protected]]