Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Targeted by AI-Generated Deepfake Videos
India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman reported in October 2025 that she has seen multiple AI-generated deepfake videos of herself circulating online, which were manipulated to mislead the public. In response, SEBI and NPCI launched a verified UPI handle system to help investors verify payment recipients and reduce vulnerability to impersonation fraud.
What happened
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on 7 October 2025 that she has seen several deepfake videos of herself being circulated online, manipulated to mislead citizens and distort facts.
Sitharaman noted that criminals are using AI to mimic voices, clone identities, and create lifelike videos that can manipulate people, describing this as part of a new generation of fraud focused on hacking trust rather than breaching firewalls.
Reported impact
Sitharaman stated the deepfake videos were circulated online and manipulated to mislead citizens and distort facts, serving as a reminder of the urgency to strengthen defenses against AI-driven deepfakes and impersonation.
Index analysis
The Finance Minister highlighted the growing threat of AI-driven deepfakes in financial contexts, where criminals use generative AI to create deceptive content targeting public trust.
Governance controls
In response to deepfake and impersonation threats, SEBI in collaboration with NPCI launched a verified UPI handle system with category suffixes such as .brk for brokers and .mf for mutual funds, allowing investors to verify UPI IDs and bank details before making payments.
The scheme was introduced at the Global Fintech Fest 2025 in Mumbai, with major brokers covering over 90% of Indian investors already enabled to use the '@valid' UPI handle.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.