NEW DELHI: Cybercriminals are deploying deepfake videos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and various state chief ministers to promote fraudulent welfare schemes across social media platforms. According to a warning issued on Monday by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), these deceptive advertisements primarily target individuals seeking financial assistance by offering fake government aid, cashbacks, and monetary rewards. Victims who respond to these campaigns are subsequently tricked into paying bogus administrative charges or lured into approving fraudulent UPI transactions that siphon funds directly from their bank accounts.
Fabricated Welfare Offers on Social Platforms
The National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit under the I4C noted an increase in financial fraud carried out through online video promotions. Circulating mainly on Facebook and Instagram, the advertisements display digitally altered footage that replicates the voices and appearances of senior leaders to make unverified programs seem authentic. The campaigns often mimic standard political messaging and provide contact numbers, links to external websites, or prompts to start conversations on WhatsApp to claim benefits.
Once individuals make contact or open the provided links, fraudsters demand sequential payments disguised as registration fees, document verification charges, processing costs, or administrative taxes. Victims are repeatedly assured that the promised state assistance will be credited to their bank accounts after these charges are cleared. However, the operators continue to levy new demands for money before terminating communication altogether.
International Calls and UPI Payment Traps
Authorities have also recorded incidents where victims receive phone calls from international numbers, including those bearing Pakistan’s country code, +92. Callers inform recipients that they have been selected to receive government funds or lottery prizes and instruct them to complete formal clearance steps. In other instances, users encounter digital scratch cards or promotional games on social platforms that declare them winners of cash prizes before directing them to online payment portals.
Fraudsters then coax victims into authorizing UPI collect requests initiated by fraudulent merchant identities. Some victims are instructed to input their UPI personal identification numbers directly into payment applications under the false premise that authentication is required to receive funds. Entering the PIN authorises an outgoing transfer that deducts money from the individual’s account. Scammers frequently repeat this procedure across multiple transfers, resulting in substantial cumulative financial losses.
Official Verification Guidelines and Advisory
In response to the spread of these campaigns, the I4C has advised the public to independently confirm any advertised government initiative through the official portals of relevant departments before transferring money or sharing information. The agency cautioned that videos and voice recordings featuring public figures must not be assumed genuine, as modern manipulation technologies can produce convincing imitations. Members of the public are advised to visit local government offices directly if they cannot verify claims circulating online.
The advisory further urged citizens never to disclose identity details, PAN numbers, bank account credentials, one-time passwords, or UPI PINs to unknown parties. The agency reiterated that a UPI PIN is strictly an authorization tool for debiting money and is never required to receive incoming transfers into an account. Users are advised to review transaction prompts carefully, verify the identities of payees, and decline unsolicited payment requests.
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