Bank Negara Flags Deepfakes Impersonating Its Governor – Again

A deepfake clip showing Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) governor was just one of the fabricated videos used to lure Malaysians into investment scams. BNM has now issued at least two public warnings this year – and Malaysia is not alone.

Bank Negara Malaysia / FB

In Brief

Bank Negara Malaysia has warned the public not to be deceived by deepfake advertisements impersonating its governor online.
Fabricated videos previously showed Governor Abdul Rasheed endorsing scams, including a fake altercation clip set on a TV programme.
The misuse of central bank governors' likenesses in deepfake investment scams is a growing global trend across multiple countries.

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Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has warned the public against deepfake advertisements impersonating its governor.

“Do not be fooled by deepfake advertisements online impersonating the Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia,” BNM said in a social media post recently.

The central bank urged anyone in doubt to verify suspicious content or make enquiries through BNMLINK before acting.

This isn’t the first time Governor Datuk Seri Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour has been targeted.

In May, fabricated footage circulated online showing Abdul Rasheed and several senior BNM officials using AI-generated images and voices.

One clip was set on the Malaysia Hari Ini (MHI) programme on TV3. It depicted the governor in a physical altercation with a guest, set against what appeared to be a debate on loans and inflation. The clip included overturned furniture and security intervention.

BNM said the fake content was designed to lure the public into investment scams and financial fraud.

Abdul Rasheed later appeared on camera himself to address the public directly and debunk the footage.

A Wider Pattern Globally

Malaysia isn’t alone. Central bank governors elsewhere have faced similar attacks in the past two years.

Sri Lanka’s central bank warned in March 2025 of AI-generated videos showing governor Nandalal Weerasinghe endorsing investment schemes promising “extraordinary” returns.

Romania’s central bank governor, Mugur Isărescu, was targeted twice. The first deepfake surfaced in February 2024, and a second attempt followed in February 2026, both pushing fake investment platforms.

The Central Bank of Luxembourg dealt with a deepfake showing governor Gaston Reinesch alongside a journalist promoting a fake investment “project.”

Italy’s central bank filed a formal complaint with judicial authorities in February 2026 after fabricated videos and articles showed governor Fabio Panetta endorsing investment products on well-known TV shows.

In each case, the central banks stressed the same message: they don’t endorse investment products, and the content wasn’t authorised.

For BNM, this is now at least the second public warning this year over its governor’s likeness being misused.

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