A 39-year-old Bengaluru resident lost Rs 7.66 lakh after falling for deepfake videos featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Sudha Murty and Anant Ambani, which falsely promoted online investments.
According to the FIR, the victim, a resident of Mahalakshmi Layout, came across the videos on Facebook on July 10. Believing the endorsements to be genuine, he clicked on an investment link and initially transferred Rs 22,000.
The victim subsequently received calls from five unknown numbers bearing the United Kingdom’s +44 country code. The callers claimed to represent a company called One Two Markets and persuaded him to invest in forex trading for higher returns.
The fraudsters allegedly created a fake forex trading account in his name, making him believe that his investments were generating profits. Between July 10 and July 22, he transferred approximately Rs 7.6 lakh to bank accounts provided by the callers.
However, when he attempted to withdraw his money, the accused demanded additional investments. Suspecting fraud, the victim approached the police.
An FIR was registered on September 19, and an investigation is underway.
The incident highlights how scammers are using AI-generated deepfake videos of prominent public figures to promote fraudulent investment schemes and deceive unsuspecting investors.
