Zambia’s Ministry of Finance and National Planning has categorically disowned and strongly condemned a fraudulent Al-manipulated video circulating on social media that falsely impersonates Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane, the Minister of Finance and National Planning.
The material exploits the Minister’s image, voice and identity to create the false impression that he is promoting or endorsing financial and investment propositions.
In a public notice, the Ministry “affirms that the video and audio are fabricated, unauthorized, and entirely fake.”
“Dr. Musokotwane did not record, authorize, approve, endorse, or participate in the production of the material circulating on some online platforms. Any investment proposition, financial solicitation, endorsement, instruction, statement or other representation attributed to him through the manipulated content should be treated as fraudulent and reported immediately to law-enforcement authorities,” it said.
It warned “the general public and the online community to verify any investment scheme, financial solicitation or other proposition attributed to Dr. Musokotwane
or the Ministry of Finance and National Planning through official Government and Ministry communication channels before taking any action.”
The Minister, who remains diligently focused on delivering on his mandate under the Grow Zambia Agenda, is said to be deeply disturbed by the calculated impersonation and strongly condemns the malicious use of Artificial Intelligence to manufacture deceptive audio and video intended to exploit public trust.
“The deliberate impersonation of a public official such as myself, manipulation of my image and voice, and the circulation of fabricated electronic content intended to deceive the public are serious matters. I have seen the details of the specific digital account, advertisement and online platform associated with the circulation of the material and will place the relevant electronic identifiers and supporting evidence at the disposal of competent authorities,” Dr. Musokotwane says.
He urged the Zambia Cyber Security Agency, ZICTA, the Zambia Police Service and other competent authorities to urgently establish the identities of those who created, financed, administered, published or distributed the fraudulent material and, “where offenses are established, ensure that those responsible are apprehended and prosecuted in accordance with the law.”
The Minister added that those involved “should be under no illusion as the apparent anonymity of social media does not make them untraceable or place them beyond the reach of the law.”
The Ministry further called on digital -platform operators to immediately preserve all records associated with the offending accounts, and related activity, including
administrator and registration information, linked accounts, payment records, device information, login records and other electronic data that may lawfully assist the authorities.
The authorities also cautioned the public against sharing, forwarding, promoting or acting upon the fraudulent material.
“Under no circumstances should anyone send money or disclose banking details, passwords, PINs, identity information or other personal data in response to communications associated with the scheme.
Anyone who encounters the material is urged to preserve the screenshots and other available evidence and report the same to relevant law enforcement authorities.
Artificial Intelligence must not become a tool for fraud, impersonation and public deception.
Those who weaponize the technology to deceive citizens must be held fully accountable under the law,” the Ministry said.