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.
In several cases, victims receive calls from international numbers, predominantly those beginning with Pakistan's country code, +92, it said.
Callers claim that the victims have been randomly selected to receive the promised funds, the advisory said.
In other cases, victims are redirected to websites featuring scratch-card or spin-and-win offers and are tricked into approving UPI collect requests from fraudulent merchants, it said.
Some victims are directed to payment apps and induced to enter their UPI PIN under the pretext of receiving the prize money, the warning said.
The transaction instead debits money from their accounts and transfers it to the fraudsters.
The NCTAU has advised people to verify welfare schemes on the official websites of the government departments concerned before acting on social media advertisements.
People should verify the purpose and recipient of any fee or payment requested in connection with a welfare benefit and confirm the identity of anyone claiming to represent a government department through official channels. In case of doubt, they should visit the concerned office in person.
The agency has also cautioned people against sharing Aadhaar, PAN, bank details, one-time passwords or UPI PINs with unknown persons. Videos and voice recordings featuring public officials should be treated with caution, and their claims verified through official sources.
Before approving a UPI collect request or entering a UPI PIN, users should check the transaction details carefully. A UPI PIN authorises payments; it is not required to receive money, the advisory said.
(With inputs from PTI)
