Bengaluru Senior Falls Victim to AI Deepfake Investment Scam, Loses ₹6.88 Lakh

It began like any other day on social media – a video that seemed to show Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announcing a dazzling new investment plan. The clip was glossy, the voice clear, and the promise of quick, high returns felt almost too good to ignore.

For 66‑year‑old Ramesh Kumar, a retired teacher from Narayanapura, the video felt authentic. It claimed the scheme was a joint effort between the Central Government and the State Bank of India, and it urged viewers to click a link for “limited‑time” participation.

Curiosity got the better of him. He tapped the link, which whisked him to a slick website asking for his KYC details, bank account number and a modest initial investment of ₹22,000. The site, however, was a façade – a front set up by fraudsters who had painstakingly cloned the minister’s face and voice using AI deep‑fake technology.

Within a few days, a WhatsApp number bearing a UK country code (+44) pinged his phone. The voice on the other end was polite, spoke English with a faint British accent, and referenced the same video. They convinced him that a larger stake – more than ₹6 lakh – would balloon to ₹15 lakh in just ten days.

Trusting what appeared to be a government‑backed opportunity, Ramesh transferred the money in several instalments between March and June. By the time he realised nothing had materialised, a total of ₹6.88 lakh had vanished into accounts that quickly disappeared.

When the promised returns failed to appear, he grew uneasy. A chat with friends, a quick internet search, and the dawning realisation that the video was a fabricated deepfake led him to file a complaint with the Bengaluru North‑East Division Cyber Crime (CEN) police.

The police have now opened an investigation, registering the case against “unknown accused persons.” A senior officer handling the matter warned that the misuse of artificial‑intelligence tools to clone the faces and voices of politicians, RBI officials, film stars and other public figures is on the rise.

Officials urged citizens to treat any investment advertisement on social media with a healthy dose of scepticism. Verify the source, look for SEBI‑registered platforms, and never share personal or banking details with strangers, especially when the pitch sounds too good to be true.

This incident is a stark reminder that technology, while powerful, can also be weaponised against the most unsuspecting among us. As deepfakes become increasingly convincing, vigilance and awareness remain our strongest defence.