DocumentedDeepfake Financial Fraud2024 onwardsIndia

India Deepfake Investment-Scam Epidemic (Ambani, Murthy, Sudha Murty, Sadhguru)

Since 2024, fraud networks have run stock-trading and investment-platform scams using deepfake videos of trusted Indian figures, especially Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani, Infosys co-founder N. R. Narayana Murthy, author and parliamentarian Sudha Murty, and spiritual leader Sadhguru, often stitched onto real news footage and anchors. Documented victims include two Bengaluru residents who lost a combined roughly 95 lakh rupees (late 2024), a Bengaluru chartered accountant who lost about 23.2 lakh rupees (reported January 2025), a Pune man who lost about 43 lakh rupees (early 2025), and a Bengaluru woman who lost about 3.75 crore rupees to a Sadhguru deepfake (reported 2025). Reliance Industries filed a complaint with Mumbai cyber police over an Ambani and Murthy deepfake in May 2024.

AI system:Deepfake video and voice-cloning tools

Impact

A large and growing category of AI-enabled financial harm in India. CERT-In issued advisories on deepfake-based fraud, and Narayana Murthy and Sudha Murty publicly warned that videos of them were fake.

Outcome

Multiple police cases registered (for example at Bengaluru's CEN crime stations); investigations ongoing, with few arrests reported. Complements the existing Kerala and Rashmika Mandanna entries to strengthen India coverage.

Sources

  1. Source 1The Cyber Express (citing Times of India)thecyberexpress.com/indian-online-stock-trading-scam-deepfake/
  2. Source 2Free Press Journalwww.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/reliance-industries-files-complaint-with-mumbai-cyber-police-after-deepfake-video-featuring-mukesh-ambani-narayana-murthy-of-infosys-goes-viral
  3. Source 3Deccan Heraldwww.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/bengaluru/ca-falls-prey-to-deepfake-video-scam-loses-rs-23-lakh-3370268
  4. Source 4Outlook Businesswww.outlookbusiness.com/magazine/trust-nr-narayana-murthy-first-check-if-its-an-ai-video

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