IncidentPeople used AI as a toolSeverity M: moderate, 3/5Confirmed: a company, official or court statement

ChatGPT allegedly used to make fake garba passes sold via Instagram ads in Ahmedabad; two men arrested over Rs 8 lakh

Ahmedabad's Cyber Crime Branch said two men were arrested for allegedly selling 686 fake passes for Navratri garba events and collecting around Rs eight lakh from customers. Police said the main accused used ChatGPT to prepare convincing counterfeit passes using information and images taken from organisers' official websites and social media pages. The passes carried booking IDs, reference numbers and QR codes. He allegedly promoted them through paid Instagram ads and sent them from fake email addresses resembling those of event organisers. Buyers often found the passes were invalid only when they reached the venues. The two men were arrested in Rajasthan's Sikar district.

What the AI did

Police said the main accused used ChatGPT to prepare convincing counterfeit garba passes from information and images taken from organisers' official websites and social media pages.

First reported October 20, 2026 · Added to the register October 31, 2026 · 1 source

Amount allegedly collected from customers: Around Rs 8 lakh
Deployer: Virendra Singh Rathod (alleged)
Model: ChatGPT
Affected: Garba-goers buying Navratri passes in Ahmedabad
Country: India (Gujarat)
When it happened: Not stated in the sources
First reported: October 20, 2026

Show the source wording

What this means for you

Could this affect you?

Yes

If you run events or sell tickets online. People buying discounted event tickets through social media ads were exposed, along with event organisers whose branding and official materials were copied to make the fake passes.

What to check

Sell tickets only through verified channels.
Publicise your official sales channels clearly.
Report counterfeit ticket sales quickly.
Check ticket offers against the organiser's official pages before paying.

Areas of your AI programme this touches

Fraud and payment controls Deepfakes and impersonation Consumer protection Content and platform moderation

Every fact and its source (5)

Complaint registeredOctober 16
“A complaint was registered with the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Police Station on October 16”^[1]
Distribution channelPaid Instagram (Meta) advertising
“They allegedly used Meta's paid advertising facility to promote posts to targeted audiences in the city”^[1]
Fake passes sold686
“In total, 686 passes were sold.”^[1]
ArrestsTwo men arrested in Sikar district, Rajasthan
“were arrested in Rajasthan's Sikar district following a technical investigation”^[1]
Events covered13 event names
“the alleged sales covered 13 event names”^[1]

Sources

ChatGPT-made fake passes, Instagram ads: How two men duped garba-goers of Rs 8 lakh in Gujarat
ibtimes.co.in · October 20, 2026

How this record is classified. Severity M (3/5): harm to individuals, or a policy breach with limited reach. OECD level: incident, an event in which an AI system led to actual harm. Evidence: Confirmed, meaning a company, official or court statement.

The facts in At a glance and in Every fact and its source are quoted from the sources listed. The summary, What the AI did and What this means for you are written from those sources and checked against them automatically before publication. Records reflect what has been disclosed, not everything that has happened. Incidents are found through news feeds and the GDELT Project.