Lured by deepfake Mukesh Ambani Insta reel, Doctor loses Rs 7 lakh in trading scam

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Mukesh Ambani endorsing a company called 'Rajiv Sharma Trade Group' and promoting its BCF Investment Academy for high returns. Dr. K K H Patil became a victim between May 28 and June 10, transferring Rs 7.1 lakh to 16 different bank accounts. The scam attracted her with the promise of high returns and a seemingly legitimate endorsement by Ambani. When Patil tried to withdraw the Rs 30 lakh shown as her profit on the trading website, she realized she had been duped.

Police Investigation Underway

Oshiwara police have filed an FIR against an unidentified person for impersonation, cheating, and identity theft under relevant IPC and IT Act sections. An officer stated that the scammers used deepfake technology to create the misleading video. Efforts are being made to block the transferred funds in coordination with bank officials.

Instagram Reel Sparks Fraud

Patil discovered the video on Instagram, which convinced her of the investment's legitimacy. Her online research suggested the company had offices in BKC and London, which further reassured her. «I was misled by the apparent endorsement and invested my money,» she said.

Greater Noida Resident Duped in Work-from-Home Scam

In another incident, Sandeep Kumar from Greater Noida lost Rs 20.54 lakh in a work-from-home scam that required him to rate hotels on Google Maps. The scam began in January when Kumar received a WhatsApp message offering the job.

Telegram Group and Investment Tasks

Kumar was added to a Telegram group with about 100 members and started rating