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3w ago

FIR Filed After Deepfake of Sadhguru Used to Cheat Bengaluru Woman of Rs 3.75 Crore

Police say the delayed complaint now complicates recovery efforts.

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The scam, which took place between February 25 and April 23, exploited the widespread circulation of AI-generated celebrity content on social media.

Overview

  • East Division cybercrime police in Bengaluru registered the case on Sept. 9 under the IT Act and cheating provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, with an investigation under way.
  • The victim, 57, encountered an AI-generated video between Feb. 25 and Apr. 23 that falsely showed Sadhguru promoting a trading link promising gains from a $250 start.
  • After clicking the link, she was contacted by a person calling himself Waleed B, added to a WhatsApp group of about 100 people, told to download the Mirrox app, and coached on Zoom along with a stand-in tutor named Michael C.
  • She transferred Rs 3,75,72,121 across multiple transactions as the fake platform displayed high returns, then was asked to pay extra fees and taxes when she tried to withdraw and the contacts stopped responding.
  • Police are coordinating with banks to freeze accounts tied to the transfers and are tracing foreign numbers and online infrastructure, as Sadhguru and the Isha Foundation previously sought court protections against deepfake misuse.