Bengaluru: A 57-year-old retired woman from CV Raman Nagar was duped of Rs 3.75 crore after fraudsters allegedly used an AI-generated deepfake video of spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev to lure her into investing in a fake online trading platform, police said on Thursday.
According to police, the victim claimed she had no knowledge of deepfake technology. While browsing YouTube on February 25, she came across a video showing Sadhguru endorsing a trading firm. The video also provided a link, promising financial growth for those who invested a minimum of USD 250. Believing it to be authentic, the woman clicked on the link and shared her personal details.
Shortly after, she was contacted by a man named Waleed B through multiple UK-based numbers, who guided her to download the “Mirrox” trading app. He also conducted trading lessons over Zoom, assisted at times by another person identified as Michael C.
From February 25 to April 23, the woman transferred a total of ₹3,75,72,121 from her bank accounts to the alleged platform. Suspicion arose when she was unable to withdraw her supposed profits, after which she lodged a police complaint nearly five months later.
A senior officer confirmed that a case was registered on September 9 under relevant sections of the IT Act and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (cheating). Investigators have initiated efforts to trace the money trail and freeze accounts linked to the fraudsters, though officials admitted that recovery of the funds may be challenging.
