In a disturbing case highlighting the growing menace of AI-driven fraud, a man has reportedly lost ₹1.5 crore after falling victim to a sophisticated “digital arrest” scam. The scammers, posing as law enforcement officials, used an AI-generated video to make their deception appear authentic and intimidating.

According to reports, the victim received a video call from individuals impersonating officers from a reputed investigative agency. The fake officials claimed that his bank account was linked to illegal activities and that he was under investigation. To make the situation look real, they displayed a deepfake video — a digitally manipulated clip showing the victim’s likeness and “officials” in uniform, warning of immediate arrest if he failed to cooperate.

Terrified by the threats and convinced of the video’s authenticity, the man followed their instructions and transferred a total of ₹1.5 crore to various accounts provided by the scammers. The fraud came to light only after he shared the incident with his family and later approached the authorities.

Cybercrime experts have warned that this incident marks a dangerous new phase of scams in India, where AI-generated content and deepfakes are increasingly being used to manipulate and extort people.

Law enforcement agencies are urging citizens to stay alert, verify any such communications through official channels, and never transfer money based on online threats or intimidati
“No government agency conducts arrests or financial investigations over phone or video calls. Such calls are scams — report them immediately to the cybercrime helpline 1930 or visit cybercrime.gov.in.”