A 76-year-old man from Belagavi lost ₹7.9 lakh in an online scam after fraudsters used a deepfake video of Nirmala Sitharaman to promote a fake stock investment scheme.
A senior citizen in Belagavi has been cheated out of ₹7.9 lakh in a shocking case of online fraud. The scammers used a deepfake video of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to lure him in.
The victim, 76-year-old Prakash Gubbi, fell for an advertisement that promised quick and high profits from stock market investments. The ad featured a deepfake video of the Finance Minister, making the offer look legitimate.
According to the police complaint, Gubbi clicked on a link in the ad and filled in his details. Soon after, the fraudsters called him up and convinced him to start investing.
Related Articles
Deepfake Scam
He first transferred ₹16,500 through PhonePe. The scammers then promised even bigger returns and got him to transfer a total of ₹7.9 lakh through RTGS into their accounts. Once the money was transferred, they cut all contact.
When Gubbi tried to get his money back, the scammers tried to trick him again. They told him he would only get his principal amount and profits if he invested more money.
A case has been registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station against two individuals, Adarsh Anand from Kolhapur and Damodar from Buldhana in Maharashtra. The investigation is now underway.
Also read: Hyderabad Shocker: Men Attack Restaurant Staff Over Rs 5,900 Bill Discount Row Goes Viral
