AI-Morphed Videos Of Celebrities Used In Online Investment Scam

Putturu: In an alarming trend, cybercriminals are using AI technology to morph videos of prominent personalities and promote fraudulent investment schemes on social media platforms to trap unsuspecting individuals, officials have said.

It is learnt that in Karnataka, fake videos featuring Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Infosys Foundation Chairperson Sudha Murthy, and former RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das have surfaced online. In the AI-edited clips of the prominent personalities, the celebrities are falsely shown endorsing a scheme that promises an astonishing return of an investment of Rs 21,000 yielding Rs 17 lakh in just 28 days.

According to officials, several unsuspecting individuals, convinced by these seemingly authentic videos, have fallen into the trap. Victims reported that the website initially showed fake profits for two days, encouraging them to invite friends and family to invest as well. Once a significant number of people joined, the scammers shut down the website overnight, making away with the money.

One such victim is a part-time worker from Renigunta mandal in Tirupati district, who is employed in Thottambedu. He invested Rs 21,000 after being influenced by videos seen on Facebook. Though the site showed profits for a couple of days, it disappeared soon after, leaving him and others he referred to the scheme empty-handed.

Cybercrime officials are urging the public to be extremely cautious about investment schemes circulated on social media, especially those using celebrity faces. They have advised people to verify sources and avoid clicking on suspicious links or investing in unknown platforms.

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