Lured by deepfake Mukesh Ambani Insta reel, Doctor loses Rs 7 lakh in trading scam

A 54-year-old Ayurveda doctor from Andheri lost over Rs 7 lakh to a share trading scam. The fraud involved a deepfake video of industrialist Mukesh Ambani endorsing a company called 'Rajiv Sharma Trade Group' and promoting its BCF Investment Academy for high returns. Dr. K K H Patil became a victim between May 28 and June 10, transferring Rs 7.1 lakh to 16 different bank accounts. The scam attracted her with the promise of high returns and a seemingly legitimate endorsement by Ambani. When Patil tried to withdraw the Rs 30 lakh shown as her profit on the trading website, she realized she had been duped.

Police Investigation Underway

Oshiwara police have filed an FIR against an unidentified person for impersonation, cheating, and identity theft under relevant IPC and IT Act sections. An officer stated that the scammers used deepfake technology to create the misleading video. Efforts are being made to block the transferred funds in coordination with bank officials.

Instagram Reel Sparks Fraud

Patil discovered the video on Instagram, which convinced her of the investment's legitimacy. Her online research suggested the company had offices in BKC and London, which further reassured her. "I was misled by the apparent endorsement and invested my money," she said.

Greater Noida Resident Duped in Work-from-Home Scam

In another incident, Sandeep Kumar from Greater Noida lost Rs 20.54 lakh in a work-from-home scam that required him to rate hotels on Google Maps. The scam began in January when Kumar received a WhatsApp message offering the job.

Telegram Group and Investment Tasks

Kumar was added to a Telegram group with about 100 members and started rating tasks, which soon included investment activities. "I invested Rs 50,000 initially but couldn't withdraw the money," he told the police. When asked to pay an additional Rs 5 lakh as tax, he realized he had been scammed.

An FIR has been filed at the Cyber Crime police station in Noida Sector 36 under IPC sections 420 (cheating), 506 (criminal intimidation), and IT Act provisions. "I am unable to withdraw my invested Rs 20,54,464," Kumar stated in his police complaint, highlighting the extent of the financial fraud.

Both cases underscore the growing threat of online scams, with scammers employing sophisticated techniques like deepfake technology and exploiting social media platforms to deceive unsuspecting individuals.