Deepfake Video of Owaisi Used to Promote Investment Scam
An AI-generated deepfake video impersonating AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi circulated online to promote an investment scam promising ₹53,000 daily returns. The video also featured AI-generated appearances of Indian political and business figures. Owaisi filed a police complaint, and Hyderabad police registered a case under identity theft and cheating provisions.
What happened
A 7.35 minute deepfake video featuring AI-generated content impersonating AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi circulated on social media platforms. The video promised viewers an income of ₹53,000 per day on an online platform and led people to a website promoting an investment scam.
The deepfake video also contained AI-generated appearances of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, industrialist Mukesh Ambani, Infosys founder Narayana Murthy, and Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan. In the fake video, Owaisi speaks in English.
Reported impact
Owaisi stated the deceptive content created using artificial intelligence put innocent people at risk of financial fraud and losing money. He described it as malicious content intended to lure innocent people and make false propaganda in his name.
Index analysis
The deepfake video utilized AI to generate synthetic video content impersonating a political figure and other public personalities to fraudulently promote an investment scam.
Governance controls
Owaisi requested immediate removal of the video from all social media platforms, a thorough investigation to trace its origins, and a public advisory to warn citizens about the scam.
Hyderabad police registered a case under sections 66C (identity theft), 66D (cheating by personation), and 66E (violation of privacy) of the IT Act, and sections 319(2) (cheating by personation), 336(3) (forgery for purpose of cheating), 336(4) (forgery for purpose of harming reputation), and 356 (defamation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police stated they were writing to social media platforms to trace the source and identify those responsible.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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