CHENNAI: The Cyber Crime Wing has arrested a 43-year-old man for his role in a major online investment fraud that involved AI-generated content to impersonate the Union Finance Minister. The scam deceived a 69-year-old Adyar resident out of Rs 2.11 crore.
The victim, TA Sekar, responded to a Facebook ad featuring a deepfake video of the minister promoting fake trading platforms, "Mudraone.io" and "9pro.com." After transferring funds through 23 transactions, he was pressured for more money, and when he expressed that he only had cash, a courier was arranged.
Police arrested Prithviraj Purohit of Perambur on Thursday as he attempted to collect Rs 25 lakh in cash from the victim. Investigators identified him as a money collector for a cyber fraud syndicate, funnelling cash to operators in Mumbai for a commission. Mobile phones and SIMs used in the crime were seized.
Purohit has been remanded in judicial custody. Investigations continue to track the fraud network and the stolen money.