#FactCheck - Deepfake Video Falsely Claims visuals of a massive rally held in Manipur

Introduction

Cybercrime in India is developing at a rapid rate in terms of depth and volume, with culprits leveraging technology, anonymity, and social engineering to exploit unsuspecting victims. In a high-profile instance of coordinated police action, the Delhi Police Crime Branch recently cracked a large-scale pan-India cybercrime syndicate with its arms stretching across Delhi, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. The syndicate used to be involved in a range of cybercrimes, from sextortion and online fraud to fake call centres and cloning of bank accounts. With over ₹5 crore of illicit financial transactions revealed, the operation highlights the critical role of proactive cyber policing, data security and public awareness in India's war against digital crime.

A Multi-State Operation: Crime Network across States

On May 24, 2025, on receiving a tip-off, the Delhi Police conducted a specific raid in New Ashok Nagar to catch a suspect consignment said to be used for cybercrime. This resulted in a multi-layered investigation that revealed a large crime syndicate. Police recovered 28 mobile phones, 30 SIM cards, 15 debit cards, 8 cheque books, and two laptops, equipment said to have been used in crimes ranging from sextortion to fake loan scams.

Three of the initial arrests revealed the use of fake kits like pre-activated SIMs and counterfeit documents to create phoney digital identities and bank accounts. They were being used to bypass KYC norms and make untraceable transactions, illustrating how cyber thieves exploit digital identity as well as financial authentication loopholes in the system.

Fake Call Centre Falsely Claiming to be a Lender

Tracing the leads, the investigation then led the police to Mundka, a semi-residential and industrial area in Delhi, where a fake call centre in the name of a loan assistance service was operating. Suspects were allegedly operating the business. With deceptive scripts, their telemarketing staff lured victims with the offer of instant personal loans. When a prospective victim replied favorably and was willing to go further, he was asked to send identification documents and was then forced to pay a "processing fee." Once the payment was made, the accused would cut off contact immediately, leaving the victims shortchanged.

During the raid, seven individuals were apprehended, six of whom were trained tele-callers with a reasonable level of technical skill. In spite of possessing educational certificates and receiving a meagre pay of between ₹8,000 and ₹9,000 a month, these individuals had been enticed into the cybercrime network, demonstrating how educated youth are now more commonly being exploited or recruited by such scam networks in return for quick money.

Uncovering the Sextortion Racket

The most shocking disclosure was that of a sextortion racket being run from New Ashok Nagar, a residential area located in West Delhi, New Delhi. Suspects tricked victims with fraudulent Facebook profiles, contacted them on Messenger, and then changed to WhatsApp video calls. Pornographic videos were played on such calls while the reactions of the victim were secretly recorded. These were later utilised for extortion by threatening to share them with the whole world. The ability of such a group to blackmail and psychologically manipulate the victims indicates the psychological nature of cybercrime and the need for online safety education.

Impact and Significance: A Wake-Up Call for Law Enforcement and Public Awareness

This crackdown is uncovering some ominous trends that reflect the changing face of cybercrime in India. The syndicate's framework highlights the organised and multi-state nature of cybercrime, mostly operating through systemic loopholes. Misuse of social media sites and fintech apps is also rampant, and these are being leveraged for scams, sextortion, and monetary fraud. One of the most concerning trends is young people becoming more engaged in cybercrime, either out of economic necessity or enticed by easy cash. Most of these scams increasingly involve psychological manipulation, particularly in sextortion, where shame and fear are employed as tools. Digital identity fraud has also been facilitated through false documents and lenient Know Your Customer (KYC) checks, with fraudsters being able to evade verification processes.

These observations underscore the necessity of strong reporting channels. There also needs to be an urgent implementation of stringent verification standards in the telecom and banking industries, along with extensive community-level digital literacy initiatives to sensitise citizens to online threats and preventive measures.

CyberPeace Vision: Building a Safe Digital India

India needs a multi-level cyber security approach, comprising people awareness, AI-driven detection systems, and coordination of inter-state policing. Precedence needs to be given to:

• Capacity building of cyber police units.
• Real-time exchange of scam intelligence among law enforcement.
• Schools, colleges, and workplaces should be aware of digital hygiene.
• Rehabilitation of cyber-offenders, especially youth.
• Countering online misinformation and disinformation through fact-checking and public education campaigns
• Ensuring inclusivity in cyber safety policies so vulnerable populations, including rural users, senior citizens, and linguistic minorities, are not left behind

The breakdown of the syndicate is a major victory, but the absence of difficulty with which these networks function highlights the need for cybercrime prevention initiatives, not after the fact. 

Conclusion 

The Delhi Police bust of a pan-India cybercrime gang is evidence of the increasing reach and audacity of cyber crooks from one corner of India to another. From sextortion and social engineering to financial fraud and identity theft on the web, the bust demonstrates how deep and pervasive cybercrime gangs have become. It is also a reminder that anyone can get entangled and that education, awareness, and early reporting are our best defence. With India's online presence expanding day by day, our collective cyber awareness must keep pace. The fight against cybercrime will not be won only by arrests, but through a national effort to secure our digital spaces.

‍

References

1. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-police-cyber-crime-syndicate-10047218/
2. https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/delhi-police-bust-pan-india-cybercrime-syndicate/article69652694.ece#:~:text=The%20Delhi%20police%20have%20dismantled,and%20an%20orchestrated%20sextortion%20racket.
3. https://cybercrime.gov.in/
4. https://www.ncrb.gov.in/
5. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/wealth/save/online-scams-are-on-the-rise-learn-about-the-latest-tricks-fraudsters-are-using-to-identify-frauds-and-protect-yourself/articleshow/114162295.cms?from=mdr

‍

Executive Summary:

In the recent advisory the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has released a high severity warning in the older versions of the software across Apple devices. This high severity rating is because of the multiple vulnerabilities reported in Apple products which could allow the attacker to unfold the sensitive information, and execute arbitrary code on the targeted system. This warning is extremely useful to remind of the necessity to have the software up to date to prevent threats of a cybernature. It is important to update the software to the latest versions and cyber hygiene practices.

Devices Affected:

CERT-In advisory highlights significant risks associated with outdated software on the following Apple devices:

• iPhones and iPads: iOS versions that are below 18 and the 17.7 release.
• Mac Computers: All macOS builds before 14.7 (20G71), 13.7 (20H34), and  earlier 20.2 for Sonoma, Ventura, Sequoia, respectively.
• Apple Watches: watchOS versions prior to 11
• Apple TVs: tvOS versions prior to 18
• Safari Browsers: versions prior to 18
• Xcode: versions prior to 16
• visionOS: versions prior to 2

Details of the Vulnerabilities:

The vulnerabilities discovered in these Apple products could potentially allow attackers to perform the following malicious activities:

1. Access sensitive information: The attackers could easily access the sensitive information stored in other parts of the violated gadgets.
2. Execute arbitrary code: The web page could be compromised with malcode and run on the targeted system which in the worst scenario would give the intruder full Administrator privileges on the device.
3. Bypass security restrictions: Measures agreed to safeguard the device and information contained on it may be easily bypassed and the system left open to more proliferation.
4. Cause denial-of-service (DoS) attacks: The vulnerabilities could be used to cause the targeted device or service to be unavailable to the rightful users.
5. Perform spoofing attacks: There could be a situation where the attackers created fake entities or users or accounts to have a way into important information or do other unauthorized activities.
6. Elevate privileges: It is also stated that weaknesses might be exploited to authorize the attacker a higher level of privileges in the system they are targets.
7. Engage in cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks: Some of them make the associated Web applications/sites prone to XSS attacks by injecting hostile scripts into Web page code.

‍

Vulnerabilities:

CVE-2023-42824

• Attack vector could allow a local attacker to elevate their privileges and potentially execute arbitrary code.

Affected System

• Apple's iOS and iPadOS software

CVE-2023-42916

• To improve the out of bounds read it was mitigated with improved input validation which was resolved later.

Affected System

• Safari, iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and Apple Watch Series 4 and later devices running watchOS 10.2

CVE-2023-42917

• leads to arbitrary code execution, and there have been reports of it being exploited in earlier versions of iOS.

Affected System

• Apple's Safari browser, iOS, iPadOS, and macOS Sonoma systems

Recommended Actions for Users:

To mitigate these risks, that users take immediate action:

• Update Software: Ensure all your devices are on the most current version of the operating systems they use. Repetitive updates have important security updates that fix identified weaknesses or flaws within the system.
• Monitor Device Activity: Stay vigilant if something doesn’t seem right; if your gadgets are accessed by someone who isn’t you.
• Always use strong, distinct passwords and use two-factor authentication.
• Install and update the antivirus and Firewall softwares.
• Avoid downloading any applications or clicking   link from unknown sources 

Conclusion:

The advisory from CERT-In, clearly demonstrates the fundamental need of keeping the software on all Apple devices up to date. Consumers need to act right away to patch their devices and apply best security measures like using multiple factors for login and system scanning.  This advisory has come out when Apple has just released new products into the market such as the iPhone 16 series in India. When consumers embrace new technologies it is important for them to observe relevant measures of security precautions. Maintaining good cyber hygiene is a critical process for the protection against new threats.

Reference:

• https://www.cert-in.org.in/s2cMainServlet?pageid=PUBVLNOTES02&VLCODE=CIAD-2023-0043
• https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-42916
• https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-42917
• https://www.bizzbuzz.news/technology/gadjets/cert-in-issues-advisory-on-vulnerabilities-affecting-iphones-ipads-and-macs-1337253#google_vignette
• https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-warns-apple-users-of-high-severity-security-risks-in-older-software-761396

‍

‍

Executive Summary:

‍

A viral video  (archive link) claims General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), admitted to losing six Air Force jets and 250 soldiers during clashes with Pakistan. Verification revealed the footage is from an IIT Madras speech, with no such statement made. AI detection confirmed parts of the audio were artificially generated.

‍

Claim:

‍

The claim in question is that General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), admitted to losing six Indian Air Force jets and 250 soldiers during recent clashes with Pakistan.

‍

‍

‍

‍

Fact Check:

‍

Upon conducting a reverse image search on key frames from the video, it was found that the original footage is from IIT Madras, where the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) was delivering a speech. The video is available on the official YouTube channel of ADGPI – Indian Army, published on 9 August 2025, with the description:

“Watch COAS address the faculty and students on ‘Operation Sindoor – A New Chapter in India’s Fight Against Terrorism,’ highlighting it as a calibrated, intelligence-led operation reflecting a doctrinal shift. On the occasion, he also focused on the major strides made in technology absorption and capability development by the Indian Army, while urging young minds to strive for excellence in their future endeavours.”

A review of the full speech revealed no reference to the destruction of six jets or the loss of 250 Army personnel. This indicates that the circulating claim is not supported by the original source and may contribute to the spread of misinformation.

‍

‍

‍

Further using AI Detection tools like Hive Moderation we found that the voice is AI generated in between the lines.

‍

‍

‍

‍

Conclusion:

‍

The claim is baseless. The video is a manipulated creation that combines genuine footage of General Dwivedi’s IIT Madras address with AI-generated audio to fabricate a false narrative. No credible source corroborates the alleged military losses.

‍

• Claim: AI-Generated Audio Falsely Claims COAS Admitted to Loss of 6 Jets and 250 Soldiers
• Claimed On: Social Media
• Fact Check: False and Misleading

‍

‍