Narendra Modi deepfake video — Oct 2026

The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) has issued a warning regarding a surge in financial scams involving deepfake videos of high-profile Indian political figures. These deceptive advertisements, primarily circulating on Meta platforms like Facebook and Instagram, impersonate the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister, and various state chief ministers to lure victims into fake government welfare programs.

What happened

The National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit (NCTAU) identified that these advertisements use manipulated video content to falsely announce financial assistance schemes. Victims are directed to contact phone numbers, engage in WhatsApp chats, or visit fraudulent websites to claim these purported benefits. Once engaged, victims are coerced into making repeated payments under the guise of processing fees, registration charges, or taxes.

In some instances, victims received calls from international numbers, specifically those with the +92 country code, claiming they had been selected for financial aid. Other tactics include directing users to websites featuring scratch-card or spin-and-win games. These sites trick victims into approving UPI collect requests or entering their UPI PINs under the false pretense of receiving prize money, which instead results in unauthorized debits from their bank accounts. The I4C emphasizes that a UPI PIN is only used to authorize payments and is never required to receive funds. The agency advises the public to verify all welfare schemes through official government channels and to refrain from sharing sensitive personal information, such as Aadhaar or PAN details, with unknown parties.