Fact-Check: Video of Anant Ambani Promoting Betting App Is a Deepfake
Fact-Check: Video of Anant Ambani Promoting Betting App Is a Deepfake
To top it all off, these fake deepfake videos of celebrities endorsing the app adds more questions about the authenticity of the app and the intent behind this aggressive marketing strategy. Despite this, scammers continue to circulate these apps through alternate channels, using deepfake investment scams to lend a spirit of legitimacy. Such false promises prey on the aspirations of viewers seeking easy financial gains, ultimately leading to financial losses for many who fall victim to these deepfake investment scams.
Previously, the Indian media company The Quint decoded another instance of deepfake videos involving Mukesh Ambani’s son, Anant Ambani, and Virat Kohli promoting gaming apps in viral clips circulating on social media. Further, we performed a reverse image search of the viral video, which led us to the original video uploaded on the YouTube channel of ‘Graham Bensinger’ on 22 December 2023. In this video, Kohli discusses his personal life and cricket, with no promotion of any gaming application.
Deepfake ads impersonating Nita Ambani, Anant Ambani, Yogi Adityanath, and Gautam Adani, so as to promote an online action game that promises easy money have gone viral. Newschecker ran a reverse image search of keyframes, which led us to this India TV interview with the UP CM for its show “Aap Ki Adalat”, streamed live amid the 2024 Lok Sabha polls on May 11, 2024. Adityanath did not endorse an online game at any point in the interview, which shows that the viral ad was digitally altered. Earlier this year, a deepfake of Sachin Tendulkar promoting a similar aviator game was reported. Despite widespread coverage of the incident, the notorious operators continue to circulate deep fakes of other celebrities. These deepfake videos have been socially engineered to take different groups of the audience into confidence.
In April, Meta announced to start labelling AI generated content, Meta’s manipulated media policy covers videos that are created or altered by AI to make a person appear to say something they didn’t say. “I will give 1 billion to https://aviator.5g.in/ celebrate my wedding. Play my favourite game, Aviator; I will increase each win fivefold, and if you lose, I will refund double your deposit,” declares a video of businessman Anant Ambani as he appeals people to play the dubious betting game “Aviator App”. The Quint’s WebQoof has previously debunked deepfakes of other notable personalities promoting different applications and platforms.
We ran the video past TrueMedia, which, too, detected “substantial evidence of manipulation”. Newschecker noticed that the lip movements of Nita Ambani, Anant Ambani, Yogi Adityanath, and Gautam Adani, felt unnatural and were not completely in sync with their speech, raising our doubts on whether the videos were digitally altered. We also ran a keyword search for “Aviator Nita Ambani Anant Ambani Yogi Adityanath Gautam Adani”, which did not throw up any credible news reports about any of them endorsing such an app.
Deepfake Ads Of Nita Ambani, Anant Ambani, Yogi Adityanath, Gautam Adani Endorsing Shady Gaming App Go Viral
A video of Indian cricketer Virat Kohli promoting an application named ‘Aviator Game 1Win’ is being widely shared on social media platforms. The proliferation of deepfake videos exploiting the reputations of public figures like Mukesh Ambani and Virat Kohli highlights the urgent need for stringent measures against digital deception. As consumers, vigilance and skepticism are essential in understanding an increasingly complex technological era with potential scams and misinformation. Reviews and user experiences highlight consistent patterns of manipulation and rigged outcomes designed to benefit the operators at the expense of trusting players.
- This means that there is a large potential market for your game.
- The game includes bonus rounds and mini-games, accessible on desktop, mobile, and tablet platforms to reach a broad audience.
- Reviews and user experiences highlight consistent patterns of manipulation and rigged outcomes designed to benefit the operators at the expense of trusting players.
- Similarly, Kohli’s video was traced back to a different context involving discussions on religious harmony, debunking claims of both videos promoting gaming applications as false.
A video of Indian actor Akshay Kumar promoting an application named ‘Aviator Game 1Win’ is being widely shared on social media platforms. We ran the video past TrueMedia, an AI content-detection tool, which detected “substantial evidence of manipulation”. ClaimFacebook ads, purportedly featuring Nita Ambani, Anant Ambani, Yogi Adityanath, and Gautam Adani, promoting a mobile game app, promising easy money.FactNo such endorsements, viral ads were found to be deepfakes. Earlier, we have also debunked a similar deep fake video of Sachin Tendulkar promoting an online gaming app.
Similar incidents involving other public figures have also come to light, including cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar. Fake videos were created to deceive the public, and Tendulkar himself spoke out against such misuse of technology. The Cyber Express has investigated these Aviator game scams and found out most of these apps have been banned on platforms like Google Play Store and Apple App Store due to their deceptive practices. At first, we noticed that Ambani’s lip movements were not perfectly matching the words heard in the viral video.
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However, despite its popularity, the Aviator game has garnered notoriety for its misleading promises and unfair practices. Users have reported massive financial losses after investing in what turned out to be a fraudulent scheme. Creators of “Aviator App” have targeted heavyweights and influencers from all walks of life for promotion – from comedian Kapil Sharma, cricketers Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, to businessman Mukesh Ambani. The Cyber Express is a handbook for all stakeholders of the internet that provides information security professionals with the latest news, updates and knowledge they need to combat cyber threats. Both individuals seem to be discussing the game and promising high returns, claiming minimal investments can lead to significant profits. Team WebQoof searched for the source of Kohli’s video on YouTube using the keywords “Virat Kohli Kurta.”
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We ran the video past TrueMedia, which detected “substantial evidence of manipulation”. Investigation revealed the original context of Ambani’s video related to an animal rescue program launch. Similarly, Kohli’s video was traced back to a different context involving discussions on religious harmony, debunking claims of both videos promoting gaming applications as false.
A new deepfake investment scam has emerged on the internet, misusing prominent Indian figures like Asia’s richest person, Mukesh Ambani, and former captain of the Indian national cricket team, Virat Kohli. These deepfake scam videos falsely depict the billionaire and cricket star endorsing betting apps, leading unsuspecting viewers into potential scams. Furthermore, upon conducting a reverse image search of the viral video, we discovered a video with matching visuals uploaded on Akshay Kumar’s official Instagram account on 09 August 2023. However, this video was manipulated to create a deep fake video by altering the audio and lip movement to make it appear as if he was endorsing a gaming application.
Again, Adani does not endorse an online game at any point in his speech. What is more concerning is the ease and low cost in designing and maintaining them. The popularity of such games can be gauged by the fact that some software developers have put out documents online and FAQ (frequently asked questions) on the development of such games, and offer to design them in no time. An AI content detection tool developed by US firm TrueMedia found that these videos used cloned voices and visuals manipulated by AI.
“Social engineering” refers to campaigns designed to exploit human psychology to manipulate people into transferring money or doing something that they won’t normally do. Using advanced deepfake techniques, the video manipulates their appearances and voices to make it seem like they are endorsing the app. This deceptive tactic exploits the trust and influence these figures hold. An internet search using relevant keywords led us to several media reports (here, here, and here) stating that Akshay Kumar’s team has denied his endorsement of such an application and is taking legal action against the misuse of the actor’s identity for false advertisement.
According to the DAU, a closer look at the viral videos, particularly Nita Ambani’s, shows primitive attempts at lip syncing, quivering lips and shaky dentition, all signs of AI manipulation. When contacted, a company representative said it would take just 2–3 days to develop and deploy an aviator game. “We charge Rs 40,000-Rs 45,000 for development and about Rs 500 per month for server hosting.
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Moreover, we subjected the viral video to deep fake video detectors, and they identified it as potentially being a deep fake. A video of Reliance Foundation Director Anant Ambani talking about a smartphone application is being shared on social media. Newschecker ran a reverse image search of keyframes, which led us to this ANI tweet, dated March 13, 2024, where Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani talks about the mantras that have helped him in succeeding.
This means that there is a large potential market for your game. This means that you can make a lot of money from your game,” reads a document posted by a Noida-based firm. The popularity of simulated aviator games – that give a virtual experience of flying an aircraft – seems to be rising in India. Google Trends data shows the keyword “aviator game” has risen by over 10 times in the last one year. Newschecker had also reached out to the Deepfakes Analysis Unit (DAU) of The Misinformation Combat Alliance (MCA), of which Newschecker is a part of.