Deepfake PM Modi Video Scams: Fake Welfare Scheme Ads

Deepfake PM Modi Video Scams: Fake Welfare Scheme Ads Key takeaways

• On 19 October 2026 the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre's National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit (I4C/NCTAU) warned of a surge in Facebook and Instagram ads that use deepfake videos of PM Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and chief ministers to announce fake welfare schemes or financial aid, as reported by The Print, Deccan Herald and The Tribune.
• The ads lead to phone numbers, WhatsApp chats, fake websites or spin-and-win and scratch-card pages. Victims are then asked for repeated payments labelled as taxes, processing fees, registration charges or verification costs.
• Money often leaves through a UPI collect request or a UPI PIN entered "to receive the prize". A PIN is only ever needed to send money, so that step pays the scammer.
• Check any scheme only on official government websites, never pay a fee to receive a benefit, and report fraud to 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in.
• Arjuna cannot tell whether a video is a deepfake. It can help at the link, website and payment-page stage of the scam, and none of its checks is a guarantee.** What the I4C warning says** According to press reports of the advisory, the NCTAU detected a rise in scams on Meta platforms in which ads, many of them classed as political advertisements, carry deepfake videos of senior leaders apparently announcing aid for poor people or new benefit schemes. The ads include phone numbers or links that take people to WhatsApp conversations, fraudulent websites, or digital scratch-card and spin-and-win games promising benefits and cashback. We could not find the advisory itself, only the press reports of it, so the details below are as those reports describe them.** How the fake welfare scheme scam works** The reported sequence is consistent across the coverage:

1. The ad. A short video of a familiar leader appears to announce a scheme, a grant or a cash benefit.
2. The hook. The ad shows a phone number or a link, or sends you to a WhatsApp chat or a website.
3. The prize. You are told you have been selected, or you land on a spin-and-win or scratch-card page that always seems to win.
4. The fees. To "release" the money you are asked to pay a tax, a processing fee, a registration charge or a verification cost, and then another.
5. The UPI trap. Some victims are made to approve a UPI collect request from a fraudulent merchant. Others are sent to a payment app and told to enter their UPI PIN to "receive" the prize, which instead takes money out of their account.
6. The phone call. Some people also get calls from international numbers, many starting with +92, saying they were randomly picked to receive funds.** Why a leader's face makes it so convincing** A familiar face and voice lower our guard, and a deepfake can imitate both closely enough to pass a quick look on a small phone screen. The ad format helps the scammer too: a paid ad on a major platform can feel official, which is why the safest habit is to check the scheme somewhere official, not to judge the ad. You cannot reliably judge a video by looking at it. Instead, check where the message wants you to go and what it wants you to do. A real government scheme does not ask you to pay a fee to receive a benefit, and does not ask you to enter a PIN to get money.** The UPI step that gives the scam away** The cleanest rule to remember is simple: you never enter a UPI PIN to receive money. A PIN authorises a payment going out. If anything, whether a "prize", a "refund" or a "scheme payment", asks you to approve a collect request or type your PIN so that money can reach you, the money is leaving, not arriving. For more on this trick, see our guides to how UPI fraud works and QR code scams.** What to do when you see a scheme ad

• Don't act on the ad.** Look up the scheme on the relevant official government website, or ask at a local government office, not through the number or link in the ad.**
• Never pay to receive a benefit.** A fee, tax or "processing charge" to release a payment is a red flag, whatever it is called.**
• Never approve a collect request or enter a PIN to receive money.
• Be wary of unknown international numbers**, especially those that start with +92 and say you have been randomly selected.**
• Don't share Aadhaar, PAN, bank details or OTPs** with someone you don't know, as the agency advised.**
• Report the ad** inside the app and tell family members, especially older relatives who may be targeted.** If you already paid or approved a request**

1. Call your bank straight away on the number on your card or passbook, and ask them to block the payment or your card.
2. Call the national cybercrime helpline 1930, or report at cybercrime.gov.in, as soon as possible.
3. Keep screenshots of the ad, the chat and the payment, and the numbers involved.
4. Don't send more money to "recover" what you lost.** Where Arjuna fits — and where it doesn't** Arjuna does not detect deepfake video, cannot verify whether a leader really appears in a clip, and does not scan social-media ad feeds. That part of the scam is outside what any message-scanning app can do. What the scam sends you to is different. When the ad turns into a link, a fake website or a payment page, Real-Time URL Scanning, Phishing Protection and Website Safety Check (all in the free Basic plan) are built to check a link or site's safety as you browse, and Fake Payment Page Detection is built for pages designed to collect payment details. WhatsApp Scam Detection scans messages for malicious links, fake or APK attachments and known-bad URLs before you open them. UPI Fraud Protection and SafePay (Premium) are Arjuna's payment-side layers. None of this is a guarantee, and it does not replace the rule: no fee, no PIN to receive.** Deepfake welfare scheme scam: frequently asked questions Is a video of the PM or a minister announcing a new scheme on Facebook or Instagram real?** Not necessarily. I4C has warned of deepfake videos of PM Modi, Finance Minister Sitharaman and chief ministers in ads for fake welfare schemes. Verify any scheme on an official government website, not through the ad.** How does the fake welfare scheme scam work?** An ad with a deepfake video sends you to a phone number, a WhatsApp chat or a fake website, often a spin-and-win page. You are then asked to pay taxes, processing fees or registration charges, or to approve a UPI collect request or enter your UPI PIN to "receive" the money.** Do government welfare schemes ask for a fee?** Officials advise people to verify fees through official channels. A request to pay a tax, processing fee or registration charge to receive a benefit, especially in an ad or a chat, should be treated as a scam.** Do I need my UPI PIN to receive money?** No. A UPI PIN is only needed to send money. If you are asked to approve a collect request or enter your PIN to receive money, the money is leaving your account.** Why am I getting calls from +92 numbers about a prize or fund?** Press reports of the I4C advisory say some victims received calls from international numbers, many starting with +92, claiming they had been randomly selected to receive funds. Don't engage, and don't share personal or bank details.** Can Arjuna detect a deepfake video?** No. Arjuna cannot detect deepfake video or verify who appears in a video. It can help at the link, website and payment-page stage with its URL, phishing and payment-page checks, which are not a guarantee.** Sources**[

• The Print: Scammers using deepfake videos of PM, CMs in social media political ads to dupe people, I4C](https://theprint.in/india/scammers-using-deepfake-videos-of-pm-cms-in-social-media-political-ads-to-dupe-people-i4c/3076267/)[
• Deccan Herald: A PM Modi or Sitharaman video promising you benefits? I4C warns it could be a scam](https://www.deccanherald.com/india/a-pm-modi-or-sitharaman-video-promising-you-benefits-i4c-warns-it-could-be-a-scam-4188473)[
• The420.in: Cybercriminals use deepfakes of PM Modi and the Finance Minister to run online welfare scams](https://the420.in/deepfake-pm-modi-fake-welfare-scheme-scam/)[
• The Tribune: Govt flags rise in fraud using fake videos of PM](https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/india/govt-flags-rise-in-fraud-using-fake-videos-of-pm)** Where to report and get help** If you lose money or suspect fraud, call the national cybercrime helpline 1930 or report at cybercrime.gov.in. Tell your bank straight away.** Protect your phone** Stop. Check. Stay Safe. Download Arjuna for Android and iOS. Share this guide with a parent or relative who watches videos and ads on WhatsApp, Facebook or Instagram. Related on Arjuna: Scam protection · AI scams and deepfakes · How UPI fraud works · Phishing links · More cyber alerts