Deepfake WhatsApp scam impersonating Tamil Nadu CM allegedly defrauds Bengaluru security guard
A deepfake video and voice impersonating Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay allegedly appeared on a WhatsApp call to a Bengaluru security guard, falsely promising financial aid. The fraudster and accomplices then demanded multiple payments totalling ₹1.04 lakh by threatening financial loss and claiming CBI involvement before the victim realised the scam.
What happened
A 29-year-old security guard named Ratikanta Giri received a WhatsApp video call on September 9 from the number 7986304658. The call displayed a deepfake video and voice purporting to be Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and actor C. Joseph Vijay, who introduced himself in Hindi and offered financial aid.
After Giri's initial refusal, a person claiming to be the CM's manager contacted him and offered ₹11 lakh in aid, claiming it would be transferred from Vijay's foreign account. The fraudster then claimed ₹5 lakh had been allotted to Giri and progressively demanded various payments, including ₹5,000 as exchange charges, ₹18,000 to unlock a supposedly locked PIN, and ₹50,000 as a purported CBI fine imposed by someone claiming to be a CBI officer named Thakur.
Giri made multiple payments totalling over ₹1.04 lakh through a digital payment app before refusing a demand for another ₹50,000 and realizing he had been defrauded. He contacted the cybercrime helpline 1930 and approached Byappanahalli police, who registered a case under the Information Technology Act.
Reported impact
Ratikanta Giri, a 29-year-old security guard native of Odisha who had been working in Bengaluru for 20 years, lost over ₹1.04 lakh through the scam.
Index analysis
This was reported as the first such case in Bengaluru involving deepfake video and voice technology used to impersonate a public figure for financial fraud.
Governance controls
Police urged people not to believe such calls or make payments based on such claims.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.