I4C flags fake govt scheme ads on Meta, calls from Pakistan numbers

The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) has warned that fraud is rising through deepfake and edited ads on Facebook and Instagram, by using the names and faces of well-known political leaders. In an advisory issued on October 19, 2026, the Home Ministry body said the ads promote fake government welfare schemes and cashback offers to cheat people.

The advisory was issued by the National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit (NCTAU), a vertical under I4C, which said most of these ads run on Meta platforms and many of them come under political advertisements.

“Victims are asked to pay purported fees or taxes to receive the benefits. In some cases, advertisements offer fake cashback rewards through scratch-card or spin-and-win contests, tricking victims into approving UPI collect requests from fraud merchants and transferring money to fraudsters,” said the advisory.

The leaders shown include PM Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu, Tamil Nadu CM C Joseph Vijay, and Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar.

Calls from Pakistani numbers

The advisory also warned about calls from Pakistani numbers. It said many victims get calls from foreign numbers starting with +92, telling them they have been randomly chosen to get money.

“If any Public figures or their offices contact you from +92 (Pakistan) numbers, treat such calls with extreme caution and refrain from engaging,” said the advisory

The advisory explained how the fraud happens. In the fake scheme method, the victim first sees an ad on Facebook or Instagram in which a CM seems to promote a welfare scheme. The ad asks the person to call or message a number to register. The person on the other side says the victim has been selected to get money and asks for a fee before the money can be released. After the first payment, more payments are demanded for different reasons.

In the scratch card method, the victim sees a cashback ad and opens a fake page with a spin wheel or scratch card. The page shows that the victim has won some money. The victim is then sent to a payment page to claim it, and when they add their bank account or enter the UPI PIN, the money goes to the fraudster.

I4C has advised the public to check welfare schemes on the official website of the concerned department before acting on a social media ad, and to verify the purpose and recipient of any fee asked in connection with a benefit. It has also asked people to confirm the identity of anyone claiming to represent a government department through official channels, or to visit the office in person if in doubt.

Other advice includes caution in sharing Aadhaar, PAN, bank details, OTPs or UPI PINs, and in trusting videos and voice recordings of public officials. People should check the details of a UPI collect request before approving it, the advisory says, adding that a UPI PIN is used to authorise payments, not to receive money. Victims can report scams on the cybercrime helpline 1930 or at www.cybercrime.gov.in.