A shocking case of cyber fraud has surfaced in Bengaluru, where a 57-year-old retired woman was swindled out of ₹3.75 crore after falling prey to a deepfake video of spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. The woman, who had no knowledge of AI-generated content, came across an Instagram reel between February and April this year that appeared to show Sadhguru endorsing a trading platform. Believing it to be genuine, she clicked the provided link, filled in her details, and was soon contacted by scammers posing as investment advisors.
The fraudsters, operating under the banner of a fake company called Mirrox, convinced the victim to transfer large sums of money by showing her manipulated profit screenshots and conducting online tutorials to build trust. The scammers added her to a WhatsApp group with nearly 100 members, all of whom were part of the elaborate scheme designed to display fabricated success stories. By April 23, the woman had transferred her entire savings across multiple accounts, lured by the illusion of impressive returns on the bogus platform. Her suspicions were raised only when the fraudsters demanded extra payments for “processing fees” and “taxes” before she could withdraw her supposed profits.
According to police, the scammers operated through UK-based phone numbers and multiple online portals, making recovery of the lost funds difficult. Authorities are now working with banks to freeze accounts linked to the fraud. This case highlights the rising threat of AI-driven deepfake scams in India, where even prominent figures like actor Rashmika Mandanna and Infosys Foundation chairperson Sudha Murty have had their identities misused. With deepfake technology becoming increasingly sophisticated, experts warn that public awareness and digital vigilance are the only shields against such crimes.
