#FactCheck - Viral Video of Burning Aircraft Falsely Linked to UAE, Found to Be AI-Generated

Introduction

In July 2025, the Digital Defence Report prepared by Microsoft raised an alarm that India is part of the top target countries in AI-powered nation-state cyberattacks with malicious agents automating phishing, creating convincing deepfakes, and influencing opinion with the help of generative AI (Microsoft Digital Defence Report, 2025). Most of the attention in the world has continued to be on the United States and Europe, but Asia-Pacific and especially India have become a major target in terms of AI-based cyber activities. This blog discusses the role of AI in espionage, redefining the threat environment of India, the reaction of the government, and what India can learn by looking at the example of cyber giants worldwide.

Understanding AI-Powered Cyber Espionage

Conventional cyber-espionage intends to hack systems, steal information or bring down networks. With the emergence of generative AI, these strategies have changed completely. It is now possible to automate reconnaissance, create fake voices and videos of authorities and create highly advanced phishing campaigns which can pass off as genuine even to a trained expert. According to the report made by Microsoft, AI is being used by state-sponsored groups to expand their activities and increase accuracy in victims (Microsoft Digital Defence Report, 2025). Based on SQ Magazine, almost 42 percent of state-based cyber campaigns in 2025 had AIs like adaptive malware or intelligent vulnerability scanners (SQ Magazine, 2025).

AI is altering the power dynamic of cyberspace. The tools previously needing significant technical expertise or substantial investments have become ubiquitous, and smaller countries can conduct sophisticated cyber operations as well as non-state actors. The outcome is the speeding up of the arms race with AI serving as the weapon and the armour.

India’s Exposure and Response 

The weakness of the threat landscape lies in the growing online infrastructure and geopolitical location. The attack surface has expanded the magnitude of hundreds of millions of citizens with the integration of platforms like DigiLocker and CoWIN. Financial institutions, government portals and defence networks are increasingly becoming targets of cyber attacks that are more sophisticated. Faking videos of prominent figures, phishing letters with the official templates, and manipulation of the social media are currently all being a part of disinformation campaigns (Microsoft Digital Defence Report, 2025).

According to the Data Security Council of India (DSCI), the India Cyber Threat Report 2025 reported that attacks using AI are growing exponentially, particularly in the shape of malicious behaviour and social engineering (DSCI, 2025). The nodal cyber-response agency of India, CERT-In, has made several warnings regarding scams related to AI and AI-generated fake content that is aimed at stealing personal information or deceiving the population. Meanwhile, enforcement and red-teaming actions have been intensified, but the communication between central agencies and state police and the private platforms is not even. There is also an acute shortage of cybersecurity talents in India, as less than 20 percent of cyber defence jobs are occupied by qualified specialists (DSCI, 2025).

Government and Policy Evolution

The government response to AI-enabled threats is taking three forms, namely regulation, institutional enhancing, and capacity building. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 saw a major move in defining digital responsibility (Government of India, 2023). Nonetheless, threats that involve AI-specific issues like data poisoning, model manipulation, or automated disinformation remain grey areas. The following National Cybersecurity Strategy will attempt to remedy them by establishing AI-government guidelines and responsibility standards to major sectors.

At the institutional level, the efforts of such organisations as the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) and the Defence Cyber Agency are also being incorporated into their processes with the help of AI-based monitoring. There is also an emerging public-private initiative. As an example, the CyberPeace Foundation and national universities have signed a memorandum of understanding that currently facilitates the specialised training in AI-driven threat analysis and digital forensics (Times of India, August 2025). Even after these positive indications, India does not have any cohesive system of reporting cases of AI. The publication on arXiv in September 2025 underlines the importance of the fact that legal approaches to AI-failure reporting need to be developed by countries to approach AI-initiated failures in such fields as national security with accountability (arXiv, 2025).

Global Implications and Lessons for India

Major economies all over the world are increasing rapidly to integrate AI innovation with cybersecurity preparedness. The United States and United Kingdom are spending big on AI-enhanced military systems, performing machine learning in security operations hubs and organising AI-based “red team” exercises (Microsoft Digital Defence Report, 2025). Japan is testing cross-ministry threat-sharing platforms that utilise AI analytics and real-time decision-making (Microsoft Digital Defence Report, 2025).

Four lessons can be distinguished as far as India is concerned.

• To begin with, the cyber defence should shift to proactive intelligence in place of reactive investigation. It is not only possible to detect the adversary behaviour after the attacks, but to simulate them in advance using AI.
• Second, teamwork is essential. The issue of cybersecurity cannot be entrusted to government enforcement. The private sector that maintains the majority of the digital infrastructure in India must be actively involved in providing information and knowledge.
• Third, there is the issue of AI sovereignty. Building or hosting its own defensive AI tools in India will diminish dependence on foreign vendors, and minimise the possible vulnerabilities of the supply-chain.
• Lastly, the initial defence is digital literacy. The citizens should be trained on how to detect deepfakes, phishing, and other manipulated information. The importance of creating human awareness cannot be underestimated as much as technical defences (SQ Magazine, 2025).

Conclusion 

AI has altered the reasoning behind cyber warfare. There are quicker attacks, more difficult to trace and scalable as never before. In the case of India, it is no longer about developing better firewalls but rather the ability to develop anticipatory intelligence to counter AI-powered threats. This requires a national policy that incorporates technology, policy and education.

India can transform its vulnerability to strength with the sustained investment, ethical AI governance, and healthy cooperation between the government and the business sector. The following step in cybersecurity does not concern who possesses more firewalls than the other but aims to learn and adjust more quickly and successfully in a world where machines already belong to the battlefield (Microsoft Digital Defence Report, 2025).

References:

• Microsoft Digital Defense Report 2025
• India Cyber Threat Report 2025, DSCI 
• Lucknow based organisations to help strengthen cybercrime research training policy ecosystem 
• AI Cyber Attacks Statistics 2025: How Attacks, Deepfakes & Ransomware Have Escalated, SQ Magazine 
• Incorporating AI Incident Reporting into Telecommunications Law and Policy: Insights from India. ‍
• The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023

Executive Summary 

A video showing a black Scorpio being sprayed with bullets is being widely shared on social media.The video is being circulated with the claim that it shows the real footage of the firing incident in Haryana’s Charkhi Dadri on August 6, when around 30 rounds were allegedly fired at a Scorpio outside the City Police Station. The CyberPeace Research Wing found the claim to be false. The research established that the viral video is AI-generated and is being shared with a misleading claim.

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Claim

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A Facebook user shared the viral video with a caption stating, "Gunshots ring out in Haryana… panic grips the area! A firing incident reportedly took place in Charkhi Dadri, Haryana, during an alleged dispute between two groups on Thursday. According to reports, six people were injured, with two said to be in critical condition. Police are investigating the matter. What steps should be taken to prevent such incidents in your city?"

https://www.facebook.com/reel/991406893937983 

https://archive.ph/i9uEO 

FactCheck

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To verify the claim, we extracted keyframes from the viral clip and conducted a reverse image search. During the search, we found an older post containing the same video on an Instagram account named ‘sxchin_jaat’. The video was uploaded on May 12, well before the Charkhi Dadri firing incident of August 6.

The earlier upload establishes that the viral clip is unrelated to the firing incident in Charkhi Dadri.

https://www.instagram.com/reels/DYOOXiASH4h/ 

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We then examined the viral video closely and noticed visual characteristics that raised suspicions that it could be AI-generated. The video was subsequently analysed using Hive Moderation, which indicated a 96 per cent probability of AI-generated content.

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As part of the next stage of verification, we analysed the video using another AI detection tool, Undetectable AI. The tool also identified the viral video as AI-generated.

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Conclusion 

The viral claim is false. The video being shared as authentic footage of the August 6 firing incident in Charkhi Dadri is not genuine. The clip was posted online as early as May 12 and AI detection tools also identified it as AI-generated. The video is therefore being circulated with a misleading claim linking it to the Charkhi Dadri firing incident.

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Introduction

In the age of advanced technology, Cyber threats continue to grow, and so are the cyber hubs. A new name has been added to the cyber hub, Purnia, a city in India, is now evolving as a new and alarming menace-biometric cloning and financial crimes. This emerging cyber threat involves replicating an individual’s biometric data, such as fingerprint or facial recognition, to gain unauthorised access to their bank accounts and carry out fraudulent activities. In this blog, we will have a look at the methods employed, the impact on individuals and institutions, and the necessary steps to mitigate the risk.

The Backdrop

Purnia, a bustling city in the state of Bihar, India, is known for its rich cultural heritage, However, underneath its bright appearance comes a hidden danger—a rising cyber threat with the potential to devastate its citizens’ financial security. Purnia has seen the growth of a dangerous trend in recent years, such as biometric cloning for financial crimes, after several FIRs were registered with Kasba and Amaur police stations. The Police came into action and started an investigation.

Modus Operandi unveiled

The modus Operandi of cyber criminals includes hacking into databases, intercepting data during transactions, or even physically obtaining fingerprints of facial images from objects or surfaces. Let’s understand how they gathered all this data and why Bihar was not targeted.

These criminals are way smart they operate in the three states. They targeted and have open access to obtain registry and agreement paperwork from official websites, albeit it is not available online in Bihar. As a result, the scam was conducted in other states rather than Bihar; further, the fraudsters were involved in downloading the fingerprints, biometrics, and Aadhaar numbers of buyers and sellers from the property registration documents of Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, and Telangana.

After Cloning fingerprints, the fraudster withdrew money after linking with Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AEPS) from various bank accounts. The fraudsters stamped the fingerprint on rubber trace paper and utilised a polymer stamp machine and heating at a specific temperature with a chemical to make duplicate fingerprints used in unlawful financial transactions from several consumers’ bank accounts.

Investigation Insight

After the breakthrough, the police teams recovered a large number of smartphones, ATM cards, rubber stamps of fingerprints, Aadhar numbers, scanners, Stamp machines, laptops, and chemicals, and along with this, 17 people were arrested.

During the investigation, it was found that the cybercriminals employ Sophisticated money laundering techniques to obscure the illicit origins of the stolen funds. The fraudsters transfer money into various /multiple accounts or use cryptocurrency. Using these tactics makes it more challenging for authorities to trace back money and get it back.

Impact of biometric Cloning scam

The Biometric scam has far-reaching implications both for society, Individuals, and institutions. These kinds of scams cause financial losses and create emotional breakdowns, including anger, anxiety, and a sense of violation. This also broke the trust in a digital system.

It also seriously impacts institutions. Biometric cloning frauds may potentially cause severe reputational harm to financial institutions and organisations. When clients fall prey to such frauds, it erodes faith in the institution’s security procedures, potentially leading to customer loss and a tarnished reputation. Institutions may suffer legal and regulatory consequences, and they must invest money in investigating the incident, paying victims, and improving their security systems to prevent similar instances.

Raising Awareness

Empowering Purnia Residents to Protect Themselves from Biometric Fraud: Purnia must provide its inhabitants with knowledge and techniques to protect their personal information as it deals with the increasing issue of biometric fraud. Individuals may defend themselves from falling prey to these frauds by increasing awareness about biometric fraud and encouraging recommended practices. This blog will discuss the necessity of increasing awareness and present practical recommendations to help Purnia prevent biometric fraud. Here are some tips that one can follow;

• Securing personal Biometric data: It is crucial to safeguard personal biometric data. Individuals should be urged to secure their fingerprints, face scans, and other biometric information in the same way that they protect their passwords or PINs. It is critical to ensure that biometric data is safely maintained and shared with only trustworthy organisations with strong security procedures in place.
• Verifying Service providers: Residents should be vigilant while submitting biometric data to service providers, particularly those providing financial services. Before disclosing any sensitive information, it is important to undertake due diligence and establish the validity and reliability of the organisation. Checking for relevant certificates, reading reviews, and getting recommendations can assist people in making educated judgments and avoiding unscrupulous companies.
• Personal Cybersecurity: Individuals should implement robust cybersecurity practices to reduce the danger of biometric fraud. This includes using difficult and unique passwords, activating two-factor authentication, upgrading software and programs on a regular basis, and being wary of phishing efforts. Individuals should also refrain from providing personal information or biometric data via unprotected networks or through untrustworthy sources.
• Educating the Elderly and Vulnerable Groups: Special attention should be given to educating the elderly and other vulnerable groups who may be more prone to scams. Awareness campaigns may be modified to their individual requirements, emphasising the significance of digital identities, recognising possible risks, and seeking help from reliable sources when in doubt. Empowering these populations with knowledge can help keep them safe from biometric fraud.

Measures to Stay Ahead

As biometric fraud is a growing concern, staying a step ahead is essential. By following these simple steps, one can safeguard themselves.

• Multi-factor Authentication: MFA is one of the best methods for security. MFA creates multi-layer security or extra-layer security against unauthorised access. MFA incorporates a biometric scan and a password.
• Biometric Encryption: Biometric encryption securely stores and transmits biometric data. Rather than keeping raw biometric data, encryption methods transform it into mathematical templates that cannot be reverse-engineered. These templates are utilised for authentication, guaranteeing that the original biometric information is not compromised even if the encrypted data is.
• AI and Machine Learning (ML): AI and ML technologies are critical in detecting and combating biometric fraud. These systems can analyse massive volumes of data in real-time, discover trends, and detect abnormalities. Biometric systems may continually adapt and enhance accuracy by employing AI and ML algorithms, boosting their capacity to distinguish between legitimate users and fraudulent efforts.

Conclusion

The Biometric fraud call needs immediate attention to protect the bankers from the potential consequences. By creating awareness, we can save ourselves; additionally, by working together, we can create a safer digital environment. The use of biometric verification was inculcated to increase factor authentication for a banker. However, we see that the bad actors have already started to bypass the tech and even wreak havoc upon the netizens by draining their accounts of their hard-earned money. The banks and the cyber cells nationwide need to work together in synergy to increase awareness and safety mechanisms to prevent such cyber crimes and create effective and efficient redressal mechanisms for the citizens.

Reference

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/patna-news/purnia-emerges-as-cyber-fraud-hotspot-as-biometric-data-used-for-online-swindling-police-arrest-17-and-recover-cloning-equipment-1016841669436