JOHOR BAHRU, Feb 24 — Authorities have detected and shut down 12 unauthorised TikTok accounts and associated websites that used artificial intelligence (AI) to impersonate a Johor state executive councillor in a bid to harvest personal data from the public.

Johor police chief Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad said the AI-driven scam accounts and their linked phishing sites have since been taken down by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

He said the enforcement action followed a police report lodged last Friday by Khairin-Nisa Ismail, the Johor Women, Family and Community Development Committee chairman and Serom assemblyman.

“Out of the 12 accounts, four were found to have used Khairin-Nisa's facial features and voice via AI technology to manipulate and deceive the public,” Ab Rahaman told reporters at the Johor police contingent headquarters today.

“Investigations found that all the accounts in question were used to spread fake information, claiming that all Johor residents were eligible to receive Bantuan Kasih Johor (BKJ) aid. This was a ploy to deceive the public into surrendering their personal particulars via phishing links.”

He confirmed that all the accounts and websites involved have been successfully removed, adding that the police have not yet received any reports from individuals who fell victim to the scam.

The BKJ is a legitimate state welfare initiative by the Johor government designed to support low-income and vulnerable groups through targeted financial aid and social assistance.

Ab Rahaman said further investigations revealed that the fraudulent accounts and websites were registered and operated from neighbouring countries.

“Operating multiple accounts is part of a modus operandi that uses AI technology to impersonate high-profile individuals, thereby increasing public trust and making it easier to manipulate them,” he said.

“Investigators believe this phishing activity was aimed at obtaining the personal particulars of victims, such as their full names, MyKad numbers, telephone numbers, and bank account details.”

He explained that once armed with this data, scammers could take over a victim’s mobile phone and hack into their bank accounts.

The Johor Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) is currently working closely with the MCMC to track down the network owners orchestrating the accounts.

The case has been classified under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating, and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for the improper use of network facilities.

Ab Rahaman advised the public to remain vigilant and to always verify the authenticity of state welfare schemes through official government channels before sharing any personal information online.