Surat, Sep 16 (IANS) A Haryana-based gang allegedly used the identity of Rajya Sabha MP Govind Dholakia to create fake social media accounts and a deepfake video promising lakhs and crores of rupees for old coins and currency notes, before collecting money from victims under various pretexts, Gujarat’s Surat City Police said on Wednesday.
The Cyber Crime Branch arrested two men from Haryana in connection with the case — Parvez, 25 and Irsad, 30 — both residents of Dhadhola village in Nuh district.
Police said the accused allegedly created fake Facebook and Instagram profiles and pages in the name of “Old Coin Company”, besides a WhatsApp account called “Govind Bhai”.
According to the police, the accused obtained Dholakia’s photographs from social media and allegedly used them to create the accounts.
They also allegedly prepared fake Aadhaar and PAN cards bearing his name and used photographs and videos featuring him to make the operation appear genuine.
The police said the accused subsequently used a deepfake or altered video, allegedly prepared using ChatGPT, in which Dholakia appeared to promote the exchange of old coins and notes for large sums of money. The video was circulated through the fake accounts.
When prospective victims contacted the operators, they allegedly communicated through the “Govind Bhai” WhatsApp account and claimed to be Dholakia.
After convincing people that their old coins or notes were worth substantial sums, they allegedly demanded money for registration, verification, RBI charges and delivery through different bank accounts, UPI IDs and QR codes.
The case was registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station under Sections 318(4), 319(2), 356, 338, 340(2), 336(3), 336(4), 61(2) and 3(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Amendment Act, 2008.
Police said their technical investigation indicated that the operation was being conducted from Haryana.
A team led by Police Sub Inspector V B Prajapati was sent to the state, where personnel allegedly kept a discreet watch after carrying out technical analysis and traced the two accused.
Investigators found transactions totalling Rs 4,37,986 in Parvez’s State Bank of India (SBI) account between May 2, 2025 and January 21, 2026. Irsad’s SBI account recorded transactions worth Rs 3,49,904 between August 30, 2025 and April 29, 2026.
Police also said they recovered details of 10 bank accounts linked to the accused.
Checks on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCCRP) showed nine complaints across different states against four of these accounts, involving alleged fraud of Rs 9.64 crore.
The police have advised people not to trust online advertisements promising large sums for old coins or notes or to transfer money towards registration, verification, RBI or delivery charges without verifying the claims.
They also urged people not to rely solely on photographs, videos or identity documents purportedly belonging to public representatives.
–IANS
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