KUCHING, July 18 -- A local feng shui and qimen consultant has claimed that scammers used artificial intelligence (AI) to clone his voice in an attempt to trick his friends into transferring money.

Alex Ling said a mutual friend of his and Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) Public Complaints Bureau chief Milton Foo received a phone call from someone whose voice closely resembled his.

The caller claimed he urgently needed RM4,500 for surgery at a private hospital and asked that the money be transferred to a bank account under the name "Kee".

"That friend and I eventually met up at the office. At first, we attempted to call that number, but it went unanswered.

"After about 30 to 50 minutes, he (the scammer) called back again. The voic...