Punjab police arrest three for extortion using AI voice-changing and deepfake videos
Punjab Police arrested three brothers operating a cyber fraud gang that used AI voice-changing software and deepfake videos to impersonate women and extort money from victims. The gang reportedly earned approximately Rs 40 lakh by threatening victims with synthetic videos, with one documented victim losing Rs 3.10 lakhs.
What happened
Three brothers—Abhishek Bhargav, Aakash Bhargav (alias Aman), and Lucky Bhargav, natives of Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan—were arrested by Punjab Police for operating a cyber fraud gang.
The gang used voice-changing software to impersonate women and created fake social media profiles to gain the trust of victims, particularly women. They then threatened victims with AI-generated objectionable videos to extort money.
The operation began approximately two years before March 2026. The fraudsters impersonated fake religious gurus or astrologers to target victims.
Reported impact
One victim was cheated of Rs 3.10 lakhs between 2023 and 2025 while residing in Canada.
The gang reportedly earned approximately Rs 40 lakh through this extortion method, targeting victims both in India and abroad.
Index analysis
The gang devised the modus operandi under the leadership of kingpin Aakash Bhargav, using fake social media profiles as the entry point for fraud schemes.
Governance controls
A case was registered following a complaint from a victim's father. Investigation was led by the State Cyber Crime Police Station under the supervision of SP Jaspinder Singh.
Investigation was in progress to ascertain the involvement of other persons and identify additional victims who may have fallen prey to such cyber frauds.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.