Deepfake Celebrity or Finance Expert Video Promoting an Investment by SMS

How it looks by SMS, the red flags and what to do.

A text message is the cheapest way for a scammer to reach thousands of phones at once, and the sender name can look like a bank, a courier or a government office. Deepfake Celebrity or Finance Expert Video Promoting an Investment is one of the ways this shows up: A video shows a famous person praising a trading app or scheme. The clip is edited or generated, and the scheme is a scam. Learn how to check.

What deepfake celebrity or finance expert video promoting an investment looks like by SMS

• Several near-identical messages arriving together from different senders.
• A sender name that resembles a bank, courier, tax or utility, or an ordinary mobile number.
• A very short message with a deadline such as "today" or "within 24 hours".

The scammer takes real footage of a famous person and uses software to change the words and lip movement. Sometimes only the voice is cloned and placed over unrelated footage. The clip is then promoted through paid ads and shared in groups. The headline claims a secret method, a government scheme or a special offer that is open for a limited time. Comments below the video are filled with enthusiastic replies by fake accounts.

Red flags to check on the text message

• A famous person promotes an app with guaranteed daily income.
• The video is short, oddly smooth or the voice and lips do not quite match.
• A limited-seats countdown pushes you to deposit quickly.
• An advisor calls, offering personal guidance and a fast profit.
• The link domain is not the one you type yourself for that organisation.
• The message asks for an OTP, PIN, card number or password.

What to do

1. Search for the person's official channels to see whether he has ever mentioned the app.
2. Do not enter your number or deposit money from an ad.
3. Check the platform's name along with the word 'complaints' and look for independent registration details.
4. Delete the message and tell family members who may get the same text.
5. Do not reply, do not tap the link and do not call the number in the message.
6. Open the official app or type the official website yourself to see if there is any real notice.

You can report suspicious SMS and calls on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility) of the Department of Telecommunications.

If money or a code is already gone

1. Call 1930 and report at cybercrime.gov.in with all payment references.
2. Tell your bank through its official app and list the receiving accounts.
3. Do not pay a withdrawal fee or tax to release funds.
4. Save the ad, the platform pages and chats before they disappear.

National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930; report at cybercrime.gov.in.

Use Link check in Safeavio Sentinel on the ad's link before you open it, and Scam check on any message the advisor sends to see the reasons it looks risky, such as guaranteed profits and urgency. Money Shield's 'Verify before you pay' checklist helps before a deposit. Safeavio cannot tell if a video is edited or generated, and cannot recover money deposited on a platform.

Full guide: Deepfake Celebrity or Finance Expert Video Promoting an Investment: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: social media, WhatsApp, fake app.

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