CB-CID probes AI deepfake video impersonating Tamil Nadu…
The Tamil Nadu CB-CID cybercrime wing is investigating a fraudulent AI-generated deepfake video that falsely impersonated Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay
- Incident date
- Sep 2024
- Target
- C. Joseph Vijay
On September 1, 2024, the CB-CID cybercrime wing in Chennai registered a case following the detection of an AI-generated deepfake video impersonating Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay. The video, which circulated across social media platforms, utilized synthetic media to deceive the public.
What happened
The deepfake video featured a person resembling Chief Minister Vijay speaking in Hindi, instructing individuals seeking financial assistance to contact a specific WhatsApp number. The state police social media center identified the content and alerted the cybercrime wing, leading to the registration of a formal case and the appointment of an investigating officer.
Authorities have taken several steps to mitigate the impact of the fraud. Investigators submitted a formal request to Meta to obtain details regarding the Facebook ID and associated logs used to upload the video. Additionally, the department is working to remove the fraudulent content from social media platforms and identify the perpetrators responsible for its creation and distribution. Preliminary investigations by the police indicate that some of the social media IDs used to disseminate the content may have originated from Pakistan. Law enforcement has issued a public advisory, urging citizens to refrain from contacting the phone numbers listed in the video, joining linked WhatsApp groups, or following any instructions provided in such fraudulent messages.