Fake government scheme ads with deepfake videos: I4C scam warning
On 19 October 2026 I4C warned of Facebook and Instagram ads using deepfake videos of leaders to sell fake welfare schemes and cashback. How to stay safe.
The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), which works under the Ministry of Home Affairs, issued a warning on 19 October 2026 about a new wave of scam ads on social media. Its National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit said fraudsters are running ads on Facebook and Instagram with fake or deepfake videos of the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister and state chief ministers. The videos seem to announce a government scheme that gives money to people in need. This is as reported by PTI, India Today and The Economic Times.
How the fake scheme trick works
- You see an ad or video in which a well-known leader seems to announce a new scheme or a cash handout. Many of these ads run as political ads.
- The ad gives a phone number, a WhatsApp chat or a website where you "register" for the money.
- You are then asked to pay a tax, processing fee, registration charge or verification fee before the money can be released.
- Each payment is followed by another demand, so people lose money again and again.
The advisory said many victims also get calls from foreign numbers, mostly starting with +92, Pakistan's country code, telling them they have been "randomly selected" for the money.
The cashback version
Some ads promise cashback or a prize through a scratch card or a spin-and-win game. You are taken to a fake website that shows a "win", and then sent to a payment app. There you are asked to approve a UPI collect request or enter your UPI PIN to "receive" the prize. The payment goes the other way: money leaves your account and reaches the fraudster.
How to stay safe
- Check the scheme on the official website of the government department, not on social media. A real scheme does not ask you to pay a fee to a stranger to get money.
- Do not trust a video just because a leader appears in it. Videos and voice clips can be faked. Check the claim through official sources first.
- Confirm who is calling. If someone says they are from a government department, check through the department's official number or visit the office.
- Your UPI PIN is only for sending money. You never need it to receive money. Read the name and the amount on every UPI request before you approve it.
- Never share your Aadhaar, PAN, bank details, OTP or UPI PIN with someone you do not know.
If you lose money
Act at once. The sooner you report, the better the chance of stopping the money.
- Call the national cyber fraud helpline 1930.
- File a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in.
- Tell your bank right away, and block your UPI or card from the bank's app if needed.
Also read: SBI's warning on the jumped deposit UPI scam.
Sources: The New Indian Express (PTI): Cybercrime unit flags fake welfare scheme ads using deepfake videos, 19 October 2026, India Today: Fake government scheme ads use PM, CM deepfakes, I4C warns, The Economic Times: MHA warns of fake welfare scheme ads using deepfake videos, National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
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