#FactCheck-PM Narendra Modi’s Viral Statement Linking His Father to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose is Fake

About Customs Scam:

The Customs Scam is a type of fraud where the scammers pretend to be from the renowned courier office company (DTDC, etc.), or customs department or other government entities. They try to deceive the targets to transfer the money to resolve the fake customs related concerns.  The Research Wing at CyberPeace along with the Research Wing of Autobot Infosec Private Ltd. delved into this case through Open Source Intelligence methods and undercover interactions with the scammers and concluded with some credible information.

Case Study:

The victim receives a phone call posing as a renowned courier office (DTDC, etc.) employee (in some case custom’s officer) that a parcel in the name of the victim has been taken into custody because of inappropriate content. The scammer provides the victim an employee ID, FIR number to prove the authenticity of the case and also they show empathy towards the victim. The scammer pretends to help the victim to connect with a police officer for further action. This so-called police officer shows transparency in his work. He asks him to join a skype video call and he even provides time to install the skype app. He instructs the victim to connect with the skype id provided by the fake police officer where the scammer created a fake police station environment. He also claims that he contacted the headquarters and the victim’s phone number is associated with many illegal activities to create panic to the victim.  Then the scammers also ask the victim to give their personal details such as home address, office address, aadhar card number, PAN card number and screenshot of their bank accounts along with their available account balance for the sake of so-called investigation. Sometimes scammers also demand a high amount of money to resolve the issue and create fake urgency to trap the victim in making the payment. He sternly warns the victim not to contact any other police officials or professionals, making it clear that doing so would only lead to more trouble.

Analysis & Findings: 

After receiving these kinds of complaints from multiple sources, the analysis was done on the collection of phone numbers from where the calls originated. These phone numbers were analysed for alias name, location, Telecom operator,  etc.  Further, we have verified the number to check whether the number is linked with any social media account on reputed platforms like Google, Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin, and other classified platforms such as Locanto.

• Phone Number Analysis: Each phone number looks authentic, cleverly concealing the fraud. Sometimes scammers use virtual/temporary phone numbers for these kinds of scams. In this case the victim was from Delhi, so the scammer posed themselves from Delhi Police station, while the phone numbers belong to a different place.

• Undercover Interactions:  The interactions with the suspects reveals their chilling way of modus operandi. These scammers are masters of psychological manipulation. They threaten the victims and act as if they are genuine LEA officers. 
• Exploitation Tactics: They target unsuspecting individuals and create fear and fake urgency among the targets to extract sensitive information such as Aadhaar, PAN card and bank account details.

• Fraud Execution: The scammers demand for the payment to resolve this issue and they make use of the stolen personally identifiable information. Once the victims transfer the money, the fraudsters cut off all the communication.
• Outcome for Victims:  The scammers act so genuine and they frame the incidents so realistic, victims don't realise that they are trapped in this scam. They suffer severe financial loss and psychological trauma.

Recommendations:

• Verify Identities: It is important to verify the identity of any individual, especially if they demand personal information or payment. Contact the official agency directly using verified contact details to confirm the authenticity of the communication.
• Education on Personal Information: Provide education to people to protect their personal identity numbers like Aadhaar and PAN card number. Always emphasise the possible dangers connected to sharing such data in the course of phone conversations.
• Report Suspicious Activity: Prompt reporting of suspicious phone calls or messages to relevant authorities and consumer protection agencies helps in tracking down scammers and prevents people from falling. Report to https://cybercrime.gov.in or reach out to helpline@cyberpeace.net for further assistance. 
• Enhanced Cybersecurity Measures: Implement robust cybersecurity measures to detect and mitigate phishing attempts and fraudulent activities. This includes monitoring and blocking suspicious phone numbers and IP addresses associated with scams.

Conclusion:

In the Customs Scam fraud, the scammers pretend to be a custom or any government official and sometimes threaten the targets to get the details such as Aadhaar, PAN card details, screenshot of their bank accounts along with their available balance in their account. The phone numbers used for these kinds of scams were analysed for any suspicious activity. It is found that all the phone numbers look authentic concealing the fraudentent activities. The interactions made with them reveals that they create fearness and urgency between the individuals. They act as if they are genuine officer’s and ask for money to resolve this issue. It is important to stay vigilant and not to share any personal or financial information. When facing these kinds of scams, report and spread awareness among individuals.

‍

Introduction

Recently, the Delhi Police arrested a licensed telecom PoS agent, who identified himself as “Shivam Telecom," from a roadside kiosk adjacent to Hindu Rao Hospital. On the face of it, the headline may have simply read, “One man, one arrest." However, beneath that arrest is the unsettling story of a fully legitimate retail shop actively forging other people’s identification documents into weapons, one SIM card at a time, for as little as ₹500-600 each. This is not an account of an isolated offender; it is a peek into the vulnerability of SIM card security for typical end-users and the reasons why every mobile phone subscriber must pay attention to the unseen journey of his number.

 Why SIM Security Matters Now

Erstwhile, a SIM card was only a simple device for sending text messages and making calls. Today, however, it’s also a direct link to most of our lives online, be it online banking to verify it through one-time passwords (OTP) or Unified Payments Interface (UPI); social media platforms; or email accounts to reset a forgotten password, two-factor authentications (2FA), or even numerous other online services. Therefore, losing a SIM card and getting it fraudulently issued under your name, or criminals accessing your identity to buy a SIM, can be a serious cause of concern, as they can then impersonate you, conduct various frauds, bypass checks, or commit acts that can lead to you being wrongly implicated.

According to the investigation, criminals were procuring SIM cards through the authorized outlets of telecom companies, not unlicensed dealers. This clearly proves a deficiency in the Know Your Customer (KYC) process for the SIM card activation. The situation, however, is worse and is also highlighted by the fact that more than 21 lakh mobile numbers from the more than 114 crore mobile numbers reviewed under the Sanchar Saathi initiative launched by the department of telecommunications (DoT) were associated with fake or invalid identity documents. A state police chief of Tamil Nadu claims that 90% of the cyber fraud cases involved SIM cards obtained through misused identity documents.

How Illegally Activated SIMs Fuel Everyday Scams?

Once a SIM is activated using someone else's identity documents or biometric data, without their knowledge, it becomes a disposable, hard-to-trace tool for criminals. Here's how that plays out in practice:

1. Phishing and impersonation calls: Using an honest person’s details for a SIM registration allows the scammer to have a “clean” number that won’t tip off victims about a potential scam immediately when carrying out a fake bank call, fake delivery scam, or fake impersonation of an officer.
2. OTP and account-takeover fraud:  Since the SIM card is used as the anchor to OTP verification, an unauthorized SIM can be used to capture one-time passwords to activate new digital payments, create a new digital payments account, or use other personal information linked to your phone number to reset your service passwords.
3. Financial fraud and money mule networks: According to the investigators, such SIMs were extensively being used to open digital payment accounts as well as to flow money across a number of fraud chains, thus enabling the fraudsters to build a layer of financial infrastructure that is not linked with their actual identities.
4. Identity theft with real-world consequences: The identity of the Aadhaar holder (whose document was used to activate the SIM card) might be unaware that a SIM exists under his name until the fraud is uncovered during a loan default or a criminal investigation where he is forced to justify a crime committed using “his” number that he is oblivious to. 

That is the anonymity that SIM-card fraud has: the fact that the SIM on the face of it seems genuine, but the one operating it and the registered owner have absolutely no relationship whatsoever.

Red Flags Every Mobile User Should Watch For

Most people won't know their identity has been misused until something goes visibly wrong. A few warning signs are worth taking seriously:

1. Your SIM suddenly loses network connectivity or displays "No Service" for an extended period without any known outage, SIM replacement request, or billing issue.
2. You stop receiving OTPs or verification messages for banking, UPI, or other online services, particularly if login attempts continue to occur on your accounts.
3. You receive unexpected OTPs, verification codes, or account alerts for services you never signed up for, indicating that someone may be attempting to use your mobile number.
4. You receive calls or messages intended for someone else or asking you to confirm activities you never performed, which may suggest your number has been misused or duplicated.
5. Your bank or telecom provider notifies you of unusual account activity, failed identity verification, or changes that you did not authorize.
6. You discover multiple mobile connections registered in your name that you never requested, a risk that often remains unnoticed unless you proactively check through the Department of Telecommunications' Sanchar Saathi portal.

None of these guarantee fraud, but any of them is a reason to check further rather than assume it's a glitch.

Practical Steps to Protect Yourself

The good news is that Indian users now have direct tools to check and control this exposure:

1. Identify your SIMs: Via the Department of Telecom’s Sanchar Saathi website, you can access a list of all mobile numbers registered in your name. Report and get any SIMs you do not recognize deactivated promptly.
2. Safeguard your identity documents and biometrics: Do not disclose your Aadhaar information, OTPs, or biometrics to unofficial persons or retail agents. Ensure your SIM is activated in your presence by an official dealer of the telecom company.
3. Tighten the security of your accounts: Wherever possible, use the most secure multi-factor authentication methods; an authenticator app, rather than just SMS, would be ideal. Consider enabling account change or SIM swap notifications from your telecom provider.
4. Stay vigilant about your bank accounts and financial activities. Watch for unusual OTP requests, password change requests, login notifications, and unrecognized devices being logged into your online accounts. Being observant early on helps minimize losses.
5. Take swift action if a SIM stops working: Contact your telecom provider and report the misuse to the Sanchar Saathi website as well as your nearest cyber station, or file a complaint through the cybercrime helpline number.

A Shared Responsibility

Consumer vigilance is not enough to save the system. Telecom providers must verify customer authenticity and check their retail points sufficiently so that a roadside vendor of the likes of “Shivam Telecom” cannot have their retail outlet anywhere the retail outlets may not need to be established and can be run even from an abandoned car body on the street for weeks. Authorities are ensuring this by making all franchisees and PoS agents and distributors register, such that the individual activating each SIM is perfectly identifiable. Consumers should take precautions and report suspicious patterns and be vigilant for fraud detection and protect themselves by knowing the system, like the use of the Sanchar Saathi platform.

Conclusion

The Delhi fake SIM case proves that even sophisticated technologies are not enough to protect India’s telecom ecosystem. No amount of biometric validation, AI fraud prevention tools, or rigid KYC compliance can offset a single corrupt agent selling SIM cards over the counter. While law enforcement works to clamp down, the responsibility also falls upon consumers, who need to regularly monitor their SIM registrations, safeguard their identity, and report any suspicious transactions in time to minimize the threat of identity theft and SIM-based cybercrime.

Sources

• https://www.prokerala.com/news/articles/a1784141.html 
• https://the420.in/dots-sanchar-saathi-initiative-exposes-21-lakh-sim-cards-activated-illegally 
•  https://www.sancharsaathi.gov.in/ 
•  https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2113857 
• https://www.business-standard.com/amp/industry/news/nearly-4-million-sims-deactivated-as-govt-cracks-down-on-digital-fraud-125080500300_1.html 
• https://www.digit.in/news/telecom/here-are-5-new-sim-card-rules-implemented-by-dot-amid-rising-scams-and-frauds.html 

‍

Executive Summary

‍
A video is being widely shared on social media showing what appears to be a missile attack over a densely populated city at night. The footage, seemingly recorded from inside a passenger aircraft, shows multiple explosions and missiles lighting up the sky.The video is being circulated with the claim that a Kuwaiti pilot filmed Iranian missiles being launched towards a US military base in the Middle East from the cockpit of an aircraft.

CyberPeace Research Wing’s research found the viral claim to be false. Our research confirmed that while Iran has launched attacks on US military installations in the Middle East, the viral footage is not related to those incidents. The video was found to be AI-generated and is being shared with a false and misleading narrative.

‍

Claim

‍

An Instagram user shared the viral video on July 11, 2026, claiming that it was recorded by a Kuwaiti pilot from an aircraft and shows Iranian missiles targeting a US military base in the Middle East.

Post Link: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DanymEDIdp2/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

‍

‍

Fact Check

‍

To verify the claim, we conducted a keyword-based search on Google. During the research, we did not find any credible news report or authentic source linking the viral video to the alleged Iranian missile attack. We did find a Navbharat Times report covering Iran's strikes on US military bases in the Middle East. However, the report did not contain the viral footage or any reference suggesting that such a video had been recorded by a Kuwaiti pilot. https://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/video/news/america-iran-war-retaliation-for-us-attacks-begins-iran-strikes-at-trumps-allies-and-its-neighbour/videoshow/132370583.cms

‍

‍

In the next stage of the research, we analysed the viral video using the AI detection tool Hive Moderation. The tool indicated that the video had a 74.8% probability of being AI-generated.

‍

‍

For additional verification, we also analysed the footage using another AI detection tool, DetectVideo AI. Its analysis showed a 61% probability that the video was AI-generated.

‍

‍

Conclusion

‍

Our research found that the viral claim is false. Although Iran has carried out missile strikes on US military facilities in the Middle East, the viral video is not authentic and has no connection to those attacks. The footage was found to be AI-generated and is being circulated on social media with a misleading claim that it was recorded by a Kuwaiti pilot from an aircraft.

‍