CB-CID Probes AI Deepfake Video Impersonating CM Vijay

The CB-CID cybercrime wing in Chennai has registered a case and initiated an investigation after detecting an artificial intelligence-generated deepfake video impersonating Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on social media platforms.

The case was registered on September 1 after the social media centre of the state police flagged the fraudulent clip. The video depicted an individual resembling the Chief Minister speaking in Hindi and instructing viewers seeking financial assistance to contact a specific WhatsApp number.

Following the alert from the state police monitoring unit, a police inspector from the cybercrime wing was assigned to lead the probe into the origins of the video and track those responsible for creating and circulating it.

As part of the ongoing investigation, police authorities sent a formal request to Meta seeking the account details and activity logs of the Facebook ID used to upload the material. Officials confirmed that the cybercrime wing is working to trace the identities of the perpetrators to initiate legal action against them.

Authorities have also initiated formal steps to remove the misleading footage from social media networks to prevent further dissemination.

Preliminary inquiries by investigators indicate that some of the videos were shared from social media accounts originating in Pakistan.

In light of the fraudulent posts, police issued an appeal urging the public to exercise caution. Citizens were advised not to contact any phone numbers displayed in such videos, avoid joining associated WhatsApp groups, and refrain from complying with instructions or solicitations sent through fraudulent messages.