Rajasthan Police issues alert on AI, deepfake cyber fraud threats
Jaipur, May 20
The Rajasthan Police Cyber Crime Branch has issued a public advisory warning citizens about the growing threat of Artificial Intelligence and deepfake-based cyber fraud.
According to the advisory, cybercriminals are increasingly attempting to misuse AI tools such as Google Gemini, OpenAI ChatGPT and xAI Grok to bypass Aadhaar biometric security systems and commit financial and digital fraud.
V.K. Singh, Additional Director General of Police (Cyber Crime), said that fraudsters first collect a victim's Aadhaar number, photograph and mobile details through phishing, social engineering and data leaks.
They then attempt to change the mobile number linked to Aadhaar by misusing Common Service Centres (CSC) or Update Client Lite (UCL) kits.
Once the registered mobile number is altered, OTPs are redirected to the criminals, enabling them to gain unauthorised access to digital accounts and services.
The advisory further noted that cybercriminals are now using AI-powered deepfake technology to create highly realistic fake videos replicating a person's facial expressions and eye movements.
Such fabricated visuals can deceive facial authentication systems and be misused for accessing services such as DigiLocker, e-KYC platforms and online banking systems to conduct fraudulent transactions.
Rajasthan Police has urged citizens to immediately lock their Aadhaar biometrics through the mAadhaar app or the official UIDAI website.
Once locked, fingerprint and iris data cannot be used unless personally unlocked by the Aadhaar holder.
Citizens have also been advised to regularly review their Aadhaar authentication history on the UIDAI portal to monitor where and how their Aadhaar details have been used over the past six months.
ADG Singh further advised people not to ignore SMS alerts regarding updates to the mobile number linked to Aadhaar and recommended keeping an active email ID connected to Aadhaar for instant notifications regarding any changes.
In cases of cyber fraud or attempted fraud, citizens have been asked to immediately report the matter to the nearest police station, Cyber Police Station or the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
Complaints can also be registered through the Cyber Helpline number 1930.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Very informative advisory. But I wish they'd also focus on how Common Service Centres are being misused. My uncle almost fell for a scam where someone posing as a CSC operator tried to change his Aadhaar mobile number. Need better training and accountability at these centres.
This is scary stuff! AI can now mimic facial expressions perfectly - how will common people in villages even know about these threats? The police should do awareness campaigns in local languages, not just English press releases. Also, why isn't UIDAI itself issuing such warnings more frequently?
Good initiative by Rajasthan Police. The advisory is practical - locking biometrics and monitoring authentication history are two things everyone can do right now. I checked my UIDAI history and found an inquiry from an unknown bank! Already filed a complaint on 1930.
While this is useful, I have to point out that the police's own systems are often outdated. Many people don't have access to smartphones or the internet to use mAadhaar or UIDAI portal. And what about the elderly? They're the most vulnerable but least tech-savvy. The advisory needs to be more inclusive.
Finally some practical cybersecurity advice from authorities! The tip about not ignoring SMS alerts for Aadhaar mobile number updates is crucial - many people delete those without reading. Also, linking email to Aadhaar for instant notifications is a smart move. Kudos to ADG Singh for this detailed advisory. 👍
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.