October 17, 2024

From Businessmen To Actors, Scammers Impersonate Celebrities To Dupe Public

Mukesh Ambani, Kriti Sanon, Nandan Nilekani, Narayana Murthy … can you guess what connects them all?

These A listers were all targeted by impersonators in a bid to gain credibility for their bogus money-managing platforms that have recently become common sight in Facebook. Social media platforms are increasingly becoming a safe space for scammers impersonating celebrities to lure and dupe users thanks to easy availability of AI tools. From deepfakes of business tycoons to fake news reports, here’s how scammers can dupe users online:

Business Titans: A Safe Bet For Scammers

A video allegedly showing a news report elaborating on a ‘financial programme’ developed by the top Indian entrepreneur recently surfaced online. The ‘news report’ claimed, “Mukesh Ambani together with Nandan Nilekani and Narayana Murthy have joined forces and created a financial programme that operates automatically.” It carried video bytes of the trio detailing their alleged ‘financial programme.’ The post also carried a registration link.

Newschecker received a link to one such post on our WhatsApp tipline (+91-9999499044) requesting to be fact checked. Though the post has since been deleted, the video can be seen below.

Did Top Business Moguls Develop Such A Programme?

We looked up keywords “Mukesh Ambani,” “Nandan Nilekani,” “Narayana Murthy” and “automated financial programme,” on Google but did not find any credible reports suggesting that such a venture has been launched by the trio.

On carefully analysing the video, we observed that while the audio was in sync with the lip movement, their accent was anomalous. We checked the audio on Resemble.ai – a tool for AI audio detection which termed the audio as “fake.”

Following this, we looked up the keyframes of the video on Google to ascertain the whereabouts of the clips of the businessmen used in the footage.

A Google lens search on the frames showing Mukesh Ambani led us to a YouTube video by Jio, dated December 23, 2017. Around 39 minutes into the video, we spotted Ambani addressing the gathering on 40 years of Reliance industries. On comparing the frames of the viral footage with the YouTube video, we found them to be identical. This led us to conclude that Ambani’s clip on the ‘financial programme’ is a deepfake.

Similarly, Nandan Nilekani’s footage was traced back to his address at the B20 Summit 2023. We also skimmed through a release by B20 Summit on Nilekani’s address, but did not find any mention of an automated financial programme.

Similarly, Narayana Murthy’s clip was traced back to his interview at the 2023 ‘Business Today Tech Today Congress’ as can be seen here.

Scammers Impersonate Celebrities To Dupe People — Screengrab from YouTube video by Business Today

Also Read: Fake Notice Promises Financial Support To Muslims Travelling To India To Vote Against ‘Fascist Forces’

The use of deepfakes of business stalwarts to promote financial schemes and money managing platforms have become a common modus operandi. In April, Newschecker debunked a deepfake video of Murthy endorsing an AI trading platform. The same can be seen here. A manipulated video of Ambani promoting a stock market forum had also gone viral on social media platforms. The same was fact checked by us in March.

In December 2023, Ratan Tata had also warned against a deepfake video showing him giving investment advice on Instagram. Reportedly, the caption of the fake post stated, “A recommendation from Ratan Tata for everyone in India. This is your chance to exaggerate your investment right today risk-free with 100% guarantee.”

Popular News Outlets: Easy Deception

Imitating templates or popular news outlets was observed as another way scammers deceive the public and promote their fraudulent schemes. Not long ago, a Facebook page, ‘Roaring Rapids’, shared a ‘report by Indian Express’ on the ‘death’ of singer Neha Kakkar. Featuring the masthead of the news outlet, it stated “Here’s what happened after the scandalous interview with Neha Kakkar.’ On following the link mentioned in the post, we were directed to a website ‘haffizmohdnoor.com.’ The homepage displayed a form to join the “Immediate 1.1 Lidex.”

Screengrab from Facebook post by Roaring Rapids

As per a disclaimer on the homepage, “Immediate 1.1 Lidex is a powerful software utility that connects traders with reputable brokers offering a diverse range of trading options, including cryptocurrencies, Forex, CFDs, and stocks…”

Screengrab from haffizmohdnoor.com website

We looked up the website URL on Scam Detector, which termed it “Untrustworthy. Risky. Danger.”

Newschecker has debunked many such instances where scammers imitate Indian Express’ website to dupe gullible people. For instance, in April 2023 Newschecker had debunked a Facebook post sharing the link of a purported Indian Express report that states that Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani has “invested $892 million in a new trading platform to make ordinary people richer”.

In September 2023, another fake Indian Express report headlined “JUST IN: Narayana Murti unveils his secret to enrich ordinary Indians” was also debunked by us.

Business moguls Gautam Adani and Azim Premji have also been targeted by similar bogus reports and have been checked by Newschecker.

More recently, a fabricated BBC report stating that Bollywood actor Kriti Sanon promoted a “get-rich-quick” trading platform on the talk show “Koffee With Karan” had also gone viral online.

Journalists- The New Favourite

After exhausting a steady stream of businessmen and actors, the scammers seemed to have found another community of people who have their own clout- journalists. Social media posts asking people to join their WhatsApp groups to get exclusive stock market related information are the latest in the slew of misinformation impersonating high profile celebrities.

A recent Facebook post claimed that journalist Palki Sharma was offering a ‘stock market education course, and urging users to “join our stock forum community to recommend more high-quality stocks.”

To verify the authenticity of the post, we looked up the official social media handles of Palki Sharma Upadhyay but did not find any mention of a stock market course. We could not spot any credible news reports on the same either.

However, we came across an X post by Sharma, dated May 6, 2024, calling out the fake post. She stated, “This is a scam. A lot of you have shared these posts with me in the last few days. (Thanks for flagging!) My photos are being misused and such fraudulent ads are being circulated on Facebook. “

Also Read: Video Showing Vehicles Driving Over Indian Flag Is From Karachi, Not Kerala

Another Facebook post viral on similar vein carried a screengrab featuring journalist Anuj Singhal’s image, again urging users to join his WhatsApp group to get valuable stock-market related information. Singhal is the Managing Editor of CNBC-Awaaz.

Screengrab from Facebook post by Mukesh Tiwary

Singhal also clarified on X, saying, “This is a big scam and I have been flooded with people asking if this is real. This is OBVIOUSLY FAKE. Someone is using my image and created a WhatsApp group to promote their shitty stocks. I will be filing a police complaint has and Meta has been notified too. The person running this scam is using a UK number and goes by the name Salina Singh. Please beware that you are joining any such groups at your risk. There is no easy money in markets. (sic)”

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=LVani1234&dnt=true&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1774459559308038182&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fnewschecker.in%2Fscam-watch%2Ffrom-businessmen-to-actors-scammers-impersonate-celebrities-to-dupe-public%2F&sessionId=275928ef4ba02ff82fc4657d3442512ea219a347&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px

Singhal also put out a video message weaning the public against such fake groups through a video message.

Earlier this week, India Today’s Pooja Shali also took to social media to warn against a fake video featuring her purportedly reporting on an investment opportunity.

Not Just Made In India: Scammers Impersonating Globally

The celebrity impersonating scams are not limited to India, but have a global presence. The Australia’s National Anti-Scam Centre recently issued a warning against “fake news articles and deepfake videos of public figures that endorse and link to online investment trading platform scams, particularly on social media.” Notably, a fake news article stating that Australian actor Hugh Jackman was promoting a trading platform had also gone viral online.

In December 2023, a deepfake video of Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong promoting a cryptocurrency investment had grabbed eyeballs online.

American Billionaire Bill Ackman has also warned against imposter social media accounts “which are attempting to take money for investment advice. “

Also Read: 2019 Video Alleging Voter Fraud By Army Soldiers At BJP’s Behest Goes Viral Amid Lok Sabha Polls

Reportedly, victims of such scams in Japan have sued Facebook. They were “hoodwinked by fraudulent online investment ads that used images of celebrities without their consent, their lawyer said,” reported the Japan Times.

But not such legal remedies are not easily accessible to all and there are several such users who have fallen prey to such fake advertising, and have ended up losing their money.

Sources
Resemble.ai Website
YouTube Video By Jio, Dated December 23, 2017
YouTube Video By Business Today, Dated June 2, 2023
YouTube Video By NDTV, Dated August 27, 2023
Report By Mint, Dated December 7, 2023
Scam Detector Website
X Post By @palkisu, Dated May 6, 2024
X Post By @_anujsinghal, Dated March 31, 2024
Release By ACCC, Dated March 1, 2024
Report By SCMP, Dated December 29, 2023
X Post By @BillAckman, Dated December 10, 2023
Report By Japan Times, Dated April 25, 2024

October 17, 2024

Got a Call From Your Dad’s Acquaintance Wanting To Send You Money? Watch out! Google Pay Scam Strikes Again In New Avatar

Marketing professional Tamanna Jaisinghani, who had recently returned home after an extended period, found herself engrossed in discussions with her father regarding some maturing investments that required attention. After their conversation, her father stepped out for a walk. During his absence, Tamanna received a call from an unknown number. The voice on the other end – a stranger’s- exuded warmth and familiarity, addressing her repeatedly as ‘beta,’ a term Tamanna had grown accustomed to from her dad’s acquaintances since childhood.

The seemingly harmless call soon became Tamanna’s close encounter with a major scam that has affected numerous Indians.

“He made it feel as if I was helping him, which is why it did not raise any suspicion at first,” Tamanna says. The caller said that he needed to transfer funds to Tamanna’s father, who wasn’t on Gpay. Therefore, he claimed he obtained Tamanna’s contact information to facilitate the transfer through her.

Omg guys, someone recently tried to scam me with UPI.

I was at my parents'. My dad and I had just discussed about maturing investments and what to do next with it.

He had just left the house.

I get a call from some guy who said he got my number from my dad…
— Tamanna (@itssynecdoche) January 5, 2024

“The caller didn’t try to get many details out of me, but tried to rush me instead… he said that he was transferring ₹25,000 and asked me to confirm the receipt while we were on the call. However, I received a message indicating that Rs 20,000 had been sent to my account,” she narrates. The sender then promised an additional ₹5,000, but to her surprise, the message she received stated that ₹50,000 had been credited.

Also Read: Scam Watch: Fake Calls From Telecom Dept Threaten Users With Mobile Number Disconnections

When she contacted him, he said that he had mistakenly sent ₹50000 instead of ₹5000 and requested her to transfer ₹45000 back to him.

Tamanna noticed that the message was manually typed and not an automated notification typically received when money is deposited into a bank account. Legitimate messages from banks typically include the bank’s name in the sender information and are not sent from personal numbers.

“It happened so quickly. I didn’t suspect anything initially because I was thinking, what could possibly go wrong? I did not feel the need to be vigilant. However, the moment I saw Rs 50,000, I sensed he would ask me for money. I pointed out that the message I received was manually typed. In response, he urged me to check Google Pay. On Google Pay, I had received a similar message, formatted like a payment receipt. Given my frequent use of Google Pay, I recognised the discrepancy immediately,” Tamanna explains. “I suggested we wait until my father returns, and I would call him from his number to resolve this. And just like that, he disappeared,” she adds.

Despite not suffering a financial loss, the incident has left Tamanna feeling uneasy. “I felt giddy after the call, it was like I was about to be pushed off a cliff and escaped narrowly. I felt violated in a way, because he was so familiar with me, referred to my dad, I even think he took his name… It was almost creepy,” she says.

The timing of the call raises suspicions for Tamanna. One can’t help but wonder if it was a mere coincidence that Tamanna’s father was not home when the scammer made his move, especially considering their recent discussion about maturing investments. “I had been checking the EPFO website earlier that afternoon, which requires my details to log in. I’m not sure if it’s related, though,” Tamanna adds.

Also Read: Scam Watch: Beyond The Hullaballoo Around The Deepfake Scam

Experts believe that the gamification of financial transactions and the rapid advancement of technology have contributed to the prevalence of such financial scams. Broadly categorised the Google Pay Scam, the modus operandi of these scams remains consistent – send a text message on Google Pay, claim that an excessive amount has been transferred, and pressurise the victim into reciprocating with a monetary transfer. However, the tactics employed to gain the trust of the victim are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

“It was my first ever transaction on my Instagram account, and I received an order for 20 units of embroidered pouches. I shared my Google Pay details with the user who placed the order. Instead of sending Rs 2,000, I received a text message stating that Rs 20,000 had been credited to my account. I had seen many awareness videos about such scams trapping household business pages on Instagram and called them out. However, I was immediately blocked. But the scammer continues to be on Instagram and I have no doubt that they are scamming more people into sending them money,” says Aravind Nair (name changed), the owner of an Instagram account selling embroidered pouches, bags, and bookmarks. He describes how the scammer relentlessly made calls and sent messages to pressure him into returning the money. “They tried to stop me from having any time to think. I am tech-savvy, so I did not lose money. But I cannot say the same for someone who is older, and is just figuring out the way this app works,” he says.

A study conducted by the Future Crime Research Foundation (FCRF), a start-up incubated by IIT-Kanpur found that nearly half (47.25%) of the cybercrimes reported from January 2020 to June 2023 were UPI-related. The report, titled ‘A Deep Dive into Cybercrime Trends Impacting India,’ additionally highlights that UPI fraud stands out as the most widespread form of cyber fraud in the country.

How to safeguard yourself from such scams?

Keep your UPI ID or PIN a secret. Do not share it with anyone.
Change the UPI PIN regularly
Think- do not be hurried into any action.
If someone says that they have wrongly sent money, make sure that it corroborates with your bank statement, or better still, ask them to report the issue to your UPI apps, such as Google Pay, Paytm, or Phonepe through their customer care. They will have to submit proof of the transfer and request for a refund. One may also raise a complaint with the NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India) and select “Incorrectly transferred to the wrong UPI address” as the issue.
Do not use public Wi-Fi for UPI payments

Why Are Deepfake Scams So Successful?

Filters coming soon