{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "Massive Cyber Fraud in Name of PM and Chief Ministers, Home Ministry Issues Strict Advisory",
  "summary": "Cyber criminals are defrauding citizens by using the names and deepfake videos of the Prime Minister, Finance Minister, and state Chief Ministers under the guise of government schemes. The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued a comprehensive advisory warning the public against this growing threat.",
  "content": "Ordinary citizens waiting in anticipation of financial assistance through government welfare schemes are currently being targeted on a massive scale by cyber criminals. In this dangerous racket, the prestigious names, photographs, and sophisticated deepfake videos of the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister, and various state Chief Ministers are being brazenly exploited. Deceptive fraudulent advertisements are widely circulated across major social media platforms, creating a false impression among the public that they are about to receive substantial monetary funds under a special government initiative. Once individuals fall into this well-laid trap, money is continuously extorted from them under the pretexts of taxes, registration fees, and processing charges. In numerous instances, fraudsters cunningly trick victims into entering their UPI PINs, thereby draining their bank accounts within minutes.\n\n Taking serious note of these escalating and systematic fraudulent activities, the National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit operating under the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has released a detailed advisory. This official warning strongly cautions all citizens to remain extremely vigilant regarding government scheme advertisements appearing on social media, suspicious unknown phone calls, and unsolicited online payment requests. This evolving criminal tactic poses a severe threat to the financial security of individuals, prompting administrative authorities to continuously raise public awareness.\n\n \n\nThe Trap of Fake Ads on Facebook and Instagram\n Cyber criminals primarily rely on popular social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram to spread their illicit operations. Sponsored fake advertisements are run on these platforms, utilizing morphed photographs and deepfake videos featuring the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister, and different state Chief Ministers. These forged videos are meticulously crafted to create a convincing illusion that high-ranking constitutional authorities themselves are personally announcing welfare schemes.\n\n These advertisements make false and tempting promises that financial aid will be credited directly to the bank accounts of needy citizens. Fraudsters often display mobile numbers or WhatsApp numbers within these ads for contact purposes, or they redirect victims to fraudulent external websites. On these bogus portals, users are asked to submit their personal documents and sensitive banking details under the guise of claiming scheme benefits. Once a citizen falls completely for this elaborate deception, the fraudsters contact them directly and initiate demands for money under the pretext of facilitating government aid.\n\n \n\nRepeated Extortion Under the Guise of Taxes and Registration Fees\n The next and most damaging phase of this fraud scheme involves extorting money from victims through various pretexts. Once a person gets entangled with these fraudsters, the cyber criminals frighten or convince them that certain preliminary formalities must be completed before the government aid amount can be transferred to their bank account. These formalities typically include depositing a specific sum upfront as taxes, processing fees, registration charges, or verification fees.\n\n The ordinary citizen tends to believe that depositing a nominal fee will unlock massive financial benefits from a government scheme. Driven by this optimistic hope and temptation, victims end up transferring their hard-earned money. However, the criminals do not stop there; upon receiving the funds, they fabricate new technical excuses or invent new fees and demand money all over again. In this manner, a single helpless individual is repeatedly fleeced under multiple pretexts, while the entire government assistance drama is actually nothing more than a calculated cyber crime.\n\n \n\nThe New Deception of Scratch Cards and Spin-and-Win Offers\n Cyber fraudsters are not restricting themselves solely to government schemes, but are continuously inventing new methods and lucrative temptations to deceive people. Several fraudulent advertisements feature alluring offers like scratch cards and spin-and-win games, promising free cashbacks or major prizes. Victims are led to believe that they have won a lucky draw or competition, and to claim the prize money instantly, they are instructed to navigate to a payment application and complete a few simple steps.\n\n During this prescribed procedure, fraudsters cleverly dispatch a UPI collect request to the user and prompt them to approve it, or directly instruct them to enter their UPI PIN. The common citizen assumes they are receiving prize money into their account, but in reality, they are granting authorization to send money out of their own bank account. The moment the victim enters their UPI PIN, funds are instantly deducted from their bank account and transferred directly to the accounts of the criminals.\n\n \n\nExercise Extreme Caution Regarding Calls and Messages From +92 Numbers\n The advisory issued by the Home Ministry explicitly urges citizens to exercise deep caution regarding incoming phone calls and WhatsApp messages originating from the Pakistani country code +92. In several alarming instances of this nature, fraudsters call from abroad to trick unsuspecting individuals into believing they have been selected to receive financial assistance under a specific government scheme. Subsequently, pressure is applied to deposit fees or share confidential personal information in order to claim those funds.\n\n Although the mere presence of a +92 prefix does not automatically confirm every call as a proven fraud case, it remains imperative for every citizen to stay highly vigilant whenever an unknown entity demands money or bank details in the name of a government scheme. Ignoring such unsolicited communications from international numbers is the wisest course of action, as criminals frequently deploy such technical loopholes to conceal their true identities.\n\nWhat this means for you\nThis massive fraudulent scheme orchestrated by cyber criminals through fake government welfare ads and deepfake videos poses a direct and severe threat to the financial security and bank accounts of ordinary citizens.\n\n• Across India: Citizens throughout the country must now exercise extreme caution regarding social media advertisements promising government financial assistance and unsolicited payment requests. Sharing bank account details or UPI PINs with any unknown entity can result in devastating financial losses.\n• Financial Security: If any unknown caller or online advertisement demands money under the pretext of taxes, registration fees, or processing charges, it must never be trusted. The authenticity of any government scheme should always be independently verified through official departmental websites.\n• UPI PIN Rule: It must always be remembered that a UPI PIN is strictly used for authorizing payments out of your own account, never for receiving any form of government aid or cashback. Never enter your UPI PIN under the illusion of collecting prize money or rewards.\n• Suspicious Calls: Maintain absolute caution regarding suspicious phone calls and WhatsApp messages originating from international country codes like +92 claiming selection in a government scheme. Never share personal information or financial data over such calls.\n\nWhy this happened\nThe proliferation of this fraudulent network exploiting the names of the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers is driven by the malicious abuse of advanced technologies and the public's sincere reliance on government welfare announcements. Perpetrators fully exploit technological loopholes and the widespread reach of social media to execute these crimes.\n\n• Abuse of Deepfake Technology: Criminals utilize artificial intelligence and digital morphing tools to generate hyper-realistic deepfake videos of high-ranking leaders, making it exceedingly easy to deceive ordinary citizens.\n• Exploitation of Financial Desperation: When needy individuals hope for quick and effortless financial relief, fraudsters weaponize this exact psychological vulnerability to lure them into their traps.\n• Misunderstanding of UPI Mechanics: The lack of comprehensive awareness among general users regarding the technical nuances of digital payment systems and UPI collect requests serves as a major enabler for these scammers.\n• Utilization of International Numbers: Perpetrators openly deploy foreign country codes such as +92 and fake social media accounts to conceal their true identities and evade law enforcement authorities.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. How are cyber criminals trapping people in the name of government schemes?\nFraudsters run fake advertisements on social media and use deepfake videos of the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers to lure people with promises of money under government welfare schemes.\n\n2. Which unit of the Home Ministry issued the advisory regarding this matter?\nThe advisory was issued by the National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit under the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.\n\n3. How do fraudsters extort money under the pretext of government assistance?\nFraudsters demand upfront money from victims under the guise of taxes, processing fees, registration charges, or verification fees before transferring government aid.\n\n4. How is fraud committed through scratch cards and spin-and-win offers?\nUnder the lure of cashbacks or prizes, victims are tricked into approving UPI collect requests on payment apps or entering their UPI PIN, leading to unauthorized money deductions.\n\n5. Which phone numbers have been specifically flagged for caution in the advisory?\nThe advisory explicitly cautions citizens regarding incoming phone calls and WhatsApp messages originating from the Pakistani country code +92.\n\n6. What is the main advice given by the Home Ministry regarding government schemes?\nThe ministry advises citizens to verify scheme details directly on the official website of the concerned department before seeking any benefits.\n\n7. What is the actual intended use of a UPI PIN?\nA UPI PIN is used strictly to authorize payments out of one's own bank account, never for receiving funds or cashbacks.\n\n8. Which helpline number should be called immediately in case of online cyber fraud?\nVictims of online fraud can immediately call the national cyber crime helpline number 1930 for prompt assistance.\n\n9. Where can cyber fraud complaints be officially registered online?\nComplaints can be officially lodged online through the dedicated government website www.cybercrime.gov.in.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/crime/pradhanamntri-aura-mukhyamntriyon-ke-nama-para-bara-saibara-pharjivara-griha-mntralaya-ne-jari-ki-sakhta-edavaijari-49495",
  "category": "Crime",
  "publishedAt": "2026-10-19",
  "tags": [
    "cyber fraud",
    "home ministry",
    "deepfake video",
    "upi scam",
    "government scheme"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}