A familiar face in a video does not prove that an investment or betting platform is genuine. Before you put money into one, check who is actually behind the offer.
A video shows Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recommending an investment platform. She explains how people can earn lakhs of rupees and encourages viewers to sign up. The video looks like a news interview, and her face and voice appear familiar. But there is a problem. She never made that recommendation. Someone used artificial intelligence (AI) to create a fake endorsement.
This is not an isolated case. Scammers have used AI-generated or manipulated videos of Indian ministers, politicians, business leaders and celebrities to promote investment schemes and betting apps. They use familiar faces to make questionable platforms look trustworthy and persuade people to deposit money.
How do AI investment and betting video scams work?
Scammers often start with genuine footage of a public figure speaking at an event or giving an interview. They then manipulate the video, replace the original audio with an AI-generated voice, or alter the person’s lip movements to match a fabricated script.
The finished video may show the person recommending a trading app, promising unusually high returns or claiming that a new platform can help ordinary people become rich. Some videos also use fake news websites, logos and headlines to make the endorsement look like a genuine news report.
The scammer usually adds a link that takes viewers to a website or registration form. The page may ask for a phone number and other personal details. Someone posing as an investment adviser might then call the person, encourage them to deposit money and show fake profits on a dashboard. The victim may be asked to pay more money to withdraw those supposed earnings.
Betting scams use a similar approach. A familiar face appears to recommend a gaming or betting app, making viewers feel that the platform is legitimate. Once users deposit money, they may lose it through betting or face difficulties withdrawing their balance.
Real cases of AI video scams
1. Nirmala Sitharaman’s fake investment endorsement
In October 2025, a video circulated online showing Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman supposedly promoting an investment platform and guaranteeing returns.
The original video, published by Business Today in July 2024, showed her discussing taxation and the risks of futures and options trading. It contained no endorsement of the platform.
A similar video circulated in February 2026. It falsely claimed that Sitharaman had introduced an investment platform where putting in Rs. 21,000 could generate ₹5.5 lakh in a week. The Quint reported that the clip was AI-generated, and the Press Information Bureau’s fact-check unit also confirmed that it was fake.
2. Mukesh Ambani’s fake stock market forum
In February 2024, a video of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani circulated online, inviting viewers to join a free stock market forum. In the clip, he appeared to explain how people could learn about stocks and make money through trading.
The video used footage from Ambani’s speech at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit in January 2024. Someone had added an AI-generated voice that made it sound as though he was promoting the forum. The original speech did not contain the endorsement.
The promotional post also directed viewers to an external website that led towards a WhatsApp group. This is a common warning sign: a familiar face attracts attention, while an outside link takes the viewer into a sales or scam process.
3. Gautam Adani’s fake investment opportunity
In September 2024, a video showed Gautam Adani supposedly promoting an investment opportunity and encouraging people to put money into it. The footage was a 2023 video in which Adani addressed investors after his company’s follow-on public offering was withdrawn.
The original footage had been overlaid with AI-generated audio. The fake version included an obvious error: the voice clone identified Adani as former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Investigators also noticed that the lip movements did not match the speech.
The case shows that scammers do not always need to create a completely new video. They can reuse genuine footage and change what the person appears to say.
Why do these videos fool people?
People are more likely to pay attention when a familiar public figure appears to recommend a product. A finance minister talking about an investment scheme or a respected business leader explaining how to make money can seem more convincing than an unknown person making the same claim.
Scammers also borrow the look of news reports. They may use a television channel’s branding, copy the layout of a genuine news website or place a fabricated headline above the video. Viewers may assume that a recognised news organisation has checked the claim when it has not.
The promise of quick money adds another layer of pressure. A video may claim that viewers can turn a small deposit into lakhs of rupees within days. Some tell people to register immediately or suggest that only a limited number of people can access the opportunity.
How can you spot a fake endorsement?
Check the original source. Look for the video on the person’s verified social media accounts or official website. If a minister or business leader has announced a major investment product, check whether credible news outlets have reported it.
Be suspicious of guaranteed returns. No genuine investment can promise high profits without risk. Claims that a small amount will grow into several lakhs within a few days deserve particular scrutiny.
Look beyond the face and voice. Watch for unnatural lip movements, strange pauses, mispronounced words and changes in audio quality. These clues can help, but a well-made deepfake may not show obvious errors.
Check the link before registering. A video may use a genuine person’s face while directing you to an unrelated or fraudulent website. Do not share your phone number, banking details or identity documents just because a familiar person appears in the advertisement.
Never pay to unlock supposed profits. If a platform asks you to deposit more money to release your earnings, stop and verify the service before sending anything.
For investment-related checks in India, use the Securities and Exchange Board of India’s official website, sebi.gov.in, and its investor verification facility, SEBI Check. Do not rely on contact details supplied by the person promoting the scheme.
If you lose money to a scam, contact your bank immediately, call India’s cybercrime helpline at 1930, and report the incident at cybercrime.gov.in.