India's I4C warned of deepfake Facebook and Instagram ads of PM Modi and chief ministers used to defraud people
The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) warned that fraudsters are using deepfake videos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and state chief ministers in Facebook and Instagram political ads. The ads promote fake government welfare schemes and prize offers. Victims are directed to phone numbers, WhatsApp chats or fraudulent websites. There they are pushed into repeated payments for fake fees, or tricked into approving UPI collect requests or entering their UPI PIN. The agency said the fraud causes substantial cumulative financial losses. In several cases, victims received calls from international numbers, mostly beginning with Pakistan's +92 code. It advised people to verify schemes through official government sources.
What the AI did
Fraudsters used AI to make deepfake videos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and state chief ministers, which ran in Facebook and Instagram ads promoting fake government welfare schemes and prize offers. It has not been reported which AI tool was used.
First reported October 19, 2026 · Added to the register October 31, 2026 · 1 source
- Affected
- PM Narendra Modi, FM Nirmala Sitharaman, chief ministers
- Country
- India
- When it happened
- Not stated in the sources
- First reported
- October 19, 2026
What this means for you
Could this affect you?
If you serve customers or handle payments in India. Members of the Indian public who see ads on Facebook and Instagram were targeted with fake welfare schemes and prize offers aimed at people seeking financial help. Some victims were tricked into approving UPI collect requests or entering their UPI PIN, and the agency said the fraud causes substantial cumulative financial losses.
What to check
- Strengthen screening of political ads that feature public figures.
- Warn payment app users that entering a UPI PIN takes money out of their account.
- Train staff and customers to check government schemes through official government sources.
- Confirm any fee request through official channels before paying.
Areas of your AI programme this touches
Every fact and its source (4)
- Platform hosting the adsMeta platforms (Facebook, Instagram)“Ads, mainly on Meta Platforms featuring manipulated and deepfake videos”[1]
- Warning issued byIndian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)“the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) warned on Monday”[1]
- Harm reportedRepeated payments and substantial cumulative losses“The fraud results in multiple payments and substantial cumulative financial losses”[1]
- Origin of scam callsMostly Pakistan's +92 country code“predominantly those beginning with Pakistan’s country code, +92”[1]
Sources
- I4C: Scammers using deepfake PM, CM ads to dupe publicnavhindtimes.in · October 19, 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.
