Overview
- Cybercriminals used an AI-generated video of Donald Trump embedded in social media ads to lure victims into downloading the fraudulent ‘Trump Hotel Rental’ app
- Over 200 investors across Bengaluru, Tumakuru, Mangaluru and Haveri reported collective losses of nearly ₹2 crore between January and May
- Users paid a ₹1,500 registration fee and received small, fabricated daily returns before being coaxed into larger deposits of up to ₹1 lakh
- Fifteen FIRs have been filed in Haveri under the IT Act and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, with additional cases registered in multiple districts
- The Cybercrime, Economics and Narcotics unit has frozen ₹1.5 lakh in a suspect bank account; officials urge the public to avoid clicking on suspicious investment links