What are the red flags of this scam?

Any Facebook or YouTube ad showing a Finance Minister, Prime Minister, or RBI Governor endorsing a specific investment platform — Indian government officials never endorse private investment platforms • The video promises guaranteed daily returns of ₹70,000 or monthly returns of ₹22 lakh from a ₹22,000 starting investment — no legitimate regulated scheme offers this • The ad uses a WhatsApp number or a non-official website (not gov.in or sebi.gov.in) for sign-up — official government bodies never recruit via WhatsApp or personal mobile numbers • The 'platform' shows impressive-looking returns in your dashboard but any withdrawal attempt triggers new fees, taxes, or verification steps • PIB Fact Check or news agencies have already labelled this video as deepfake — look up the official before investing

What should I do if this happened to me?

Never invest based on a social media video of a public figure — check PIB Fact Check (pib.gov.in/factcheck) or run the thumbnail through reverse image search before acting • Verify any investment platform's SEBI registration at sebi.gov.in — unregistered platforms are illegal; registered ones never guarantee daily returns • If you already transferred money, call 1930 immediately (national cyber helpline) and tell your bank to freeze the destination account — speed matters • Report the fake ad to Facebook or YouTube using the 'Report Ad' button, and report the scam at cybercrime.gov.in • Report at https://cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930 (national cyber helpline).

HIGH investment Last reported: 24 Oct 2026 Share

AI deepfake of Finance Minister on Facebook ads promises ₹70,000 a day — it is a scam

Q: Is this a scam?

Yes. This is a documented scam pattern. AI-generated deepfake videos of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman or PM Modi appear as Facebook and YouTube ads claiming ₹22,000 grows to ₹70,000 a day. Clicking leads to a fake trading platform that steals deposits.

AI-generated deepfake videos of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman or PM Modi appear as Facebook and YouTube ads claiming ₹22,000 grows to ₹70,000 a day. Clicking leads to a fake trading platform that steals deposits.

Also known as: Nirmala Sitharaman fake investment video, deepfake minister investment ad, FM investment scheme Facebook scam, AI celebrity endorsement investment fraud, fake government investment platform ad

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

Call 1930 now

1 Call 1930 — the national cyber-crime helpline — right now. The sooner you report, the better the chance of freezing the money before it moves.
2 Call your bank to freeze the account and block the card immediately. Use the number printed on your card, never a number from the message or caller.
3 File a report at cybercrime.gov.in and keep every message, screenshot, and transaction ID.

What to do right now

1 Never invest based on a social media video of a public figure — check PIB Fact Check (pib.gov.in/factcheck) or run the thumbnail through reverse image search before acting
2 Verify any investment platform's SEBI registration at sebi.gov.in — unregistered platforms are illegal; registered ones never guarantee daily returns
3 If you already transferred money, call 1930 immediately (national cyber helpline) and tell your bank to freeze the destination account — speed matters
4 Report the fake ad to Facebook or YouTube using the 'Report Ad' button, and report the scam at cybercrime.gov.in
5 Report at https://cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930 (national cyber helpline).

Red flags

⚠ Any Facebook or YouTube ad showing a Finance Minister, Prime Minister, or RBI Governor endorsing a specific investment platform — Indian government officials never endorse private investment platforms
⚠ The video promises guaranteed daily returns of ₹70,000 or monthly returns of ₹22 lakh from a ₹22,000 starting investment — no legitimate regulated scheme offers this
⚠ The ad uses a WhatsApp number or a non-official website (not gov.in or sebi.gov.in) for sign-up — official government bodies never recruit via WhatsApp or personal mobile numbers
⚠ The 'platform' shows impressive-looking returns in your dashboard but any withdrawal attempt triggers new fees, taxes, or verification steps
⚠ PIB Fact Check or news agencies have already labelled this video as deepfake — look up the official before investing

Known variants

Fake financial firm employee deepfake — broker impersonation investment fraud

Last seen: 9/6/2026
State CM deepfake for welfare cash aid (Tamil Nadu, Sep 2026): AI deepfake video on Facebook shows TN CM Vijay promising monthly cash welfare of ₹2,000–₹5,000; Hindi voice clone targets North India viewers. WhatsApp number collects ₹200–₹500 'processing fee' from rural beneficiaries. Rajasthan accused arrested Sep 2026 by CB-CID Tamil Nadu.

Last seen: 9/30/2026
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi deepfake (Sep 2026): AI-generated face and voice used to promote real estate and other investment ventures on WhatsApp, Instagram and social media. Her office issued a formal Instagram warning on September 10, 2026, urging public not to click on posts or consent to financial requests in AI-generated content.

Last seen: 10/8/2026
Fake bank executive Facebook profile + WhatsApp investment group (Oct 2026): scammer builds a fake profile of a retired SBI or other bank manager, befriends the victim on Facebook, adds them to a WhatsApp group linked to a Reliance brand, and promises triple returns in 9 months. Victim transfers money in instalments before discovering the fraud.

Last seen: 10/8/2026
Cloned news site with fabricated FM quote (Oct 2026): scammers clone the Times of India website design to publish a fake article featuring a fabricated quote from Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman endorsing 'Quantum AI' or similar investment platforms. The fake article appears in paid social media ads and search results as if it is genuine journalism.

Last seen: 10/15/2026
PM Modi/FM Sitharaman welfare scheme deepfake (MHA Oct 2026): Facebook/Instagram ads announce free Diwali gifts, motorcycles, or ₹10,000–₹25,000 cash. Victims directed to fake UPI form for processing fee; +92 calls claim victim was selected; Instagram reels with fake govt seals trigger UPI collect requests.

Last seen: 10/24/2026

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

What to do right now

Red flags

Known variants

Sources