Class 10 student deepfake kidnapping video sparks panic:Parents threatened in Indore, fraudsters extorts ₹1.02 lakh

A Class 10 student in Indore became the centre of a suspected deepfake scam in which fraudsters allegedly extorted more than ₹1 lakh from his parents by staging a fake kidnapping video. The callers threatened the boy’s family, showing what appeared to be their son being stabbed with a knife during a video call. The fraudsters claimed he had been kidnapped and warned, ‘If you don’t pay, we will kill him.’ Boy went missing after skipping school The student’s mother, Pooja, said her son would leave home for school but often skipped classes, for which she had reprimanded him. On the day of the incident, he went out for coaching in the evening but did not return home, prompting concern. When he remained untraceable, the family uploaded his photograph and contact details on social media in an attempt to gather information. A complaint was also lodged at the MIG police station the following day. Video call sparks panic A day after the boy went missing, the family received a video call from an unknown number. The caller’s face was partially covered. On the screen, their son appeared to be restrained while the caller made stabbing gestures with a knife and threatened to kill him. Terrified for their child’s safety, the parents transferred ₹1,02,000 in multiple transactions to a QR code provided by the caller. Truth emerges The following day, the boy contacted a friend and said he had travelled to the Sanwariya Seth Temple. When this information reached the family, they were shocked. On speaking to their son directly, he stated that he had not been kidnapped. It then became clear that the family had fallen victim to a cyber scam involving a manipulated video call. Preliminary investigation revealed that the video call originated from a UK-based number, while the number linked to the financial transactions was traced to India. Crime Branch investigation underway Additional DCP (Crime Branch) Rajesh Dandotiya confirmed that the family approached the Crime Branch office on Wednesday. Police have begun investigating the complaint registered via the 1930 cyber helpline. Officials suspect the case may involve deepfake technology, in which real images and videos are digitally altered to create convincing but fabricated scenarios. If confirmed, this could be the first reported deepfake-based extortion case in the city. Police advisory to citizens The Crime Branch has urged the public not to trust suspicious video calls immediately. Citizens are advised to verify information independently, contact the concerned person directly, and avoid making payments in panic. What is deepfake technology? The term ‘deepfake’ first gained prominence in 2017, when manipulated celebrity videos were posted on the US social media platform Reddit. Some of these videos falsely depicted actresses such as Emma Watson, Gal Gadot and Scarlett Johansson. Deepfake technology uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to superimpose a person’s face, voice and expressions onto another video, image or audio file, often making fabricated content appear authentic. AI and cyber expert Puneet Pandey said ready-to-use tools and software packages are now widely available, making the technology accessible to almost anyone. He warned that voice cloning capabilities have advanced significantly and pose a growing threat to cybercrime.