Rashmika, Katrina’s deepfake video tip of the iceberg, Ratan Tata’s fake video used by scammers

In a disturbing turn of events, a deepfake video featuring the esteemed industrialist Ratan Tata has surfaced on social media platforms, leading unsuspecting individuals into a deceptive online betting scam. The deepfake videos involving Rashmika Mandanna, Katrina Kaif and Kajol may have been disconcerting, but they were just the tip of the iceberg. With video manipulating AI becoming more efficient and cheap, deepfakes are only set to increase. The deepfake of Ratan Tata shows him endorsing an online betting coach and urging viewers to join a Telegram channel managed by an individual named Amir Khan. This incident highlights the growing threat of deepfake technology in facilitating financial frauds and scams. Investigations into Khan have revealed that he operates a Telegram channel using which, he entices users with promises of earning a pretty sizeable amount of money, daily, through a real money-betting game called Aviator. However, the registration link that the Telegram channel shares redirects users to a different platform where personal information such as phone numbers and email IDs are requested — a common tactic employed by scammers to harvest sensitive data. The deepfake video featuring Ratan Tata was discovered as an advertisement published on Facebook. Analysis revealed that it is a manipulated version of a June 2015 video depicting Ratan Tata receiving an Honoris Causa degree at the HEC Paris Business School. What’s worse, is that the Ratan Tata deepfake is not a one-off. There are several other deep fake videos involving Shah Rukh Khan, Gautam Adani, the late Rakesh Jhunjhunwala and several other top industrialists are also being used for fake investment opportunities in businesses that offer very lucrative returns, but are actually just shell companies. Similarly, deepfakes of prominent journalists, and spiritual leaders are being used to sell life coaching services and courses, as well as investments. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the perils associated with deepfake technology, emphasizing the need for vigilance when encountering such content online. It underscores the importance of verifying the source of information and exercising caution when prompted to provide personal details. In response to the escalating threat of deepfakes, India is taking proactive measures. Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that the country is in the process of formulating regulations to govern deepfake technology. Following concerns raised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vaishnaw stated, “We plan to complete drafting the regulations within the next few weeks.” While the specifics of these regulations are yet to be revealed, they are expected to play a crucial role in addressing the challenges posed by deepfakes in the digital landscape.