Radhakrishnan, a former executive at Coal India, was duped of Rs 40,000 in a deepfake scam. According to a report by the Indian Express, Radhakrishnan was tricked into sending Rs 40,000 to a scammer who contacted him via WhatsApp. The scammer sent him a series of texts followed by a video call.
Deepfake technology, a type of artificial intelligence, allows anyone to be impersonated using their images. This technology can self-learn and produce convincing footage with various emotions, making them appear real.
The sender of these WhatsApp messages claimed to be Venu Kumar, Radhakrishnan’s friend of four decades from his time at Coal India. He shared images from their past to make the conversation more convincing. After the chat, he video-called Radhakrishnan and requested Rs 40,000 for his sister’s surgery.
Using deepfake technology, the scammer impersonated Venu Kumar. Initially, Radhakrishnan was skeptical but agreed to send the money due to their past connection. He transferred the money via Google Pay. However, when the scammer asked for an additional Rs 35,000, Radhakrishnan grew suspicious. He called his friend Venu Kumar using the number he had previously and realized he had been scammed.
Radhakrishnan filed a police complaint at the Kozhikode police station. After a four-month investigation, the police arrested one of the alleged culprits, Shaik Murtuzamiya Hayat Bhai, from Mehsana, Gujarat. The mastermind behind the scam, Kaushal Shah from Ahmedabad, is still at large.
According to the police, Shah used deepfake technology to impersonate Venu Kumar and scam Radhakrishnan. Cybercrime inspector Dinesh Koroth revealed the money trail as well. The money transferred from Radhakrishnan’s account went to an account in Ahmedabad and later made its way to a gambling firm. Shah was a frequent player at this gambling firm. The police added that the route was altered to mislead the police into believing that Shah won this money in gambling.
Interestingly, the investigation revealed that the scammer obtained Radhakrishnan’s number from a WhatsApp group of former company employees. It was discovered that Shah is a B.Com graduate from an affluent family. He has been accused of cheating relatives, friends, and banks in the past.
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