Prime Minister deepfake video — Oct 2026
Indian authorities have warned of a surge in financial fraud involving deepfake videos of the Prime Minister and other officials promoting fake government.
- Reported date
- Oct 19, 2026
- Target
- Prime Minister, finance ministers and chief ministers of India
The exact incident date was not established. This entry is dated by its source report.
The National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit (NCTAU) has issued a warning regarding a rise in financial fraud campaigns on Facebook and Instagram that utilize deepfake videos of high-profile Indian public figures. These deceptive advertisements impersonate the Prime Minister, finance ministers, and chief ministers to lure victims into participating in fraudulent government welfare schemes or fake cashback contests.
What happened
Fraudsters are deploying manipulated and deepfake videos that ostensibly show public figures announcing welfare programs designed to provide financial assistance. These advertisements often include phone numbers or links to fraudulent websites. Once engaged, victims are frequently contacted by international numbers—often with +92 country codes—claiming the individual has been selected to receive funds.
To claim these purported benefits, victims are coerced into making repeated payments under the guise of processing fees, registration charges, verification fees, or taxes. In other instances, attackers use scratch-card or spin-and-win contests to trick users into approving UPI collect requests. Victims are sometimes directed to payment applications and induced to enter their transaction PIN under the false pretense of receiving prize money, which instead authorizes a debit from their account. The NCTAU has cautioned the public to verify all welfare schemes through official government websites and reminded users that a UPI PIN is strictly for authorizing payments, not for receiving funds.