Matribhumi Samachar English
New Delhi. Tuesday, 9 June 2026
The Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check Unit alongside national cybersecurity cells have issued an urgent alert warning citizens about a highly sophisticated deepfake video circulating across digital channels. The heavily manipulated video advertisement, which has prominently targeted users via Facebook advertisements, falsely depicts India’s Union Minister of Finance, Nirmala Sitharaman, promoting an unauthorized financial scheme.
The fraudulent advertisement claims that retail investors can lock in astronomical returns, suggesting an initial deployment of ₹22,000 can generate up to ₹60,000 daily and as much as ₹16 lakh per month. Authorities have explicitly clarified that the Union Finance Minister has not endorsed, authorized, or promoted any such platform, and the claims are entirely groundless.
Anatomy of the Deepfake Cyber Scam
Cyber fraudsters are increasingly relying on artificial intelligence (AI) voice cloning and facial re-enactment software to bypass the traditional skepticism of online users. By utilizing archival footage of past ministerial press conferences, the malicious software maps synthetic audio over the real facial movements of public figures to produce high-conviction visual fabrications.
The primary objective of these hyper-targeted social media campaigns usually falls into three malicious categories:
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Phishing for Sensitive Personal Information: Collecting KYC documents, PAN details, and Aadhaar numbers.
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Harvesting Banking Credentials: Redirecting targets to cloned payment interfaces designed to steal net-banking passwords or credit card data.
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Direct Fund Siphoning: Encouraging direct UPI or bank transfers into unregulated mule accounts under the guise of “activation fees.”
Verifying Regulatory Compliance: The SEBI Shield
Experts from leading financial institutions stress that guarantees of consistent, extraordinarily high returns are the most definitive signature of an economic scam. In India, any legitimate retail investment platform, portfolio management service, or public offering must be registered with and monitored by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
Step-by-Step Security Response Plan
If you encounter this fraudulent advertisement or similar suspicious posts on your social media feeds, execute the following protective protocol immediately:
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