India Today ·
Deepfake of Surat MP used to promote fake coins, 2 arrested in Rs 9.8 crore fraud
Surat Cyber Crime Police arrested two men from Haryana for allegedly using a deepfake video of MP Govindbhai Dholakia to lure people with old coin deals. Investigators say the case points to a wider cyber fraud network using AI, fake profiles and bank accounts to collect money.
Surat Cyber Crime Police arrested two men from Haryana for using a deepfake video of MP Govindbhai Dholakia to lure people with old coin deals. Investigators say the case points to a wider cyber fraud network using AI, fake profiles and bank accounts to collect money.
Surat Cyber Crime Police have busted a cyber fraud operation in which a deepfake video of Rajya Sabha MP and Surat-based diamond industrialist Govindbhai Dholakia was allegedly used to deceive people online. Two accused, identified as Parvez Arif Qureshi and Irshad Qureshi Sammu, were arrested from Haryana following a technical investigation.
According to the police, the accused used artificial intelligence to manipulate publicly available videos and photographs of Dholakia, replacing the original audio with a voice-over to make it appear that the MP was promoting high-value deals involving old coins and currency notes.
The investigation also uncovered 10 bank accounts linked to the accused. Nine complaints registered on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) across the country have been linked to these accounts, with the total fraud amount reported at approximately Rs 9.84 crore.
The case came to light after a video featuring Dholakia was circulated on social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram.
In the altered video, Dholakia appeared to tell viewers that people possessing old currency notes or coins could contact a given number and receive lakhs or crores of rupees in exchange for them. The original video of the MP had allegedly been morphed by replacing its audio with a voice-over.
After the video began circulating, members of the public contacted Dholakia, prompting his organisation, SRK, to approach the Surat Cyber Crime Police. The complaint clarified that Dholakia was not involved in the activity and that his photographs, videos and identity had been misused to create fake social media accounts.
Police then began tracing the digital trail, including social media accounts, mobile numbers and online transactions.
According to the investigation, the accused created multiple fake Facebook profiles using the name "Old Coin Company" and used photographs and videos of Dholakia to make the accounts appear genuine.
They allegedly approached people through social media with offers to buy old coins at high prices. Victims were then asked to transfer amounts ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 through UPI on the pretext of processing fees, registration fees and other charges.
The accused also allegedly made misleading claims about a Reserve Bank of India warning concerning high-value trading of old coins and currency notes. Police said such claims were used to gain the victims' trust before asking them to make payments.
Technical analysis led the Surat Cyber Crime Police to Nuh in Haryana, where they identified the accused as being associated with the "Mewati gang".
A police team travelled to Nuh and conducted reconnaissance and a covert operation before arresting the two men.
The accused have been identified as Parvez Arif Qureshi, 25, and Irshad Qureshi Sammu, 30. Both are residents of Thathaula village in Nuh district.
Police said Parvez is employed in a private job, while Irshad works as a driver. The two men are from the same village but are not related.
Cyber Crime Cell DCP Vishakha Jain said the team used technical evidence, reconnaissance and undercover tactics during the operation. She identified Irshad Khan as the prime accused.
The investigation found that one of the accused used ChatGPT along with publicly available footage and photographs to create the morphed video of Dholakia.
Police also recovered a fake PAN card made in the MP's name.
The second accused, Parvez, allegedly communicated with people using the contact number displayed in the video and handled interactions with potential victims.
A diary recovered from the accused contained details of 10 bank accounts. Police said nine NCRP complaints registered across the country were linked to these accounts, indicating a total fraud of approximately Rs 9.84 crore.
POLICE FIND SECOND CYBER FRAUD MODUS OPERANDI
The investigation revealed that the accused allegedly used two separate methods to target victims.
In the first, people were approached with offers involving old coins and currency notes and were asked to pay various fees before the alleged transactions could proceed.
In the second, women were allegedly used to initiate nude video calls with victims. The calls were screen-recorded and victims were then allegedly threatened with having the footage circulated on social media or sent to their family members unless they paid money.
Police are continuing to question the two accused to establish how many people were targeted through the deepfake videos and fake accounts, how much money was actually collected, and whether other people were involved in the network.
The case has highlighted how cyber fraudsters are using AI-generated or manipulated content featuring prominent industrialists and public figures to make online scams appear credible.
Police have cautioned that people should not blindly trust social media messages involving investments, transactions or demands for money simply because they appWear to come from a celebrity, industrialist or public representative. Such claims should be verified independently before any money is transferred.