NEW DELHI: Fraudsters are using deepfake videos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Finance Minister Nirmal Sitharaman and chief ministers in deceptive Facebook and Instagram political ads to dupe people with fake schemes and offers, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) warned on Monday.The National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit (NCTAU) has observed a rise in financial fraud through advertisements that impersonate public and political figures to promote purported government schemes promising financial assistance to the needy, it said.”These advertisements impersonate well known public and political figures, including the prime minister of India, the finance minister, chief ministers of states, to promote fake government welfare schemes and promise financial assistance,” the warning said.Ads, mainly on Meta Platforms featuring manipulated and deepfake videos, ostensibly show the public public figures announcing and promoting a welfare scheme allegedly intended to provide financial assistance to the needy, the I4C, under the Union Home Ministry, said.”The advertisements containing phone numbers either offer financial assistance under a purported welfare scheme or cashback/rewards through scratch-card or spin-and-win offers. Many of the websites fall under the category of political advertisements,” it said.According to the advisory, victims are directed to phone numbers, WhatsApp chats or fraudulent websites to claim the promised benefits.They are then coerced into making repeated payments under the pretext of taxes, processing fees, registration charges, verification fees or other administrative expenses.The fraud results in multiple payments and substantial cumulative financial losses, the agency said.
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