#FactCheck: Edited video falsely shows Akshay Kumar commenting on ‘Declassified: Operation Sindoor’ documentary

Introduction

‍

In October 2024, when the comedian's phone rang, and the voice at the other end claimed to be a FedEx representative, comedian Ankita Shrivastav thought it was a simple issue of misdelivery or customer grievance. The caller said that a parcel in her name was detected being shipped to Iraq and contained illegal drugs. The phone was soon handed over to what appeared to be police personnel in uniform, and she was told that she was under investigation and placed under a so-called digital arrest. For seven hours, she was ordered not to disconnect the call, leave her home, or contact anyone. Through fear, authority, constant surveillance, and psychological pressure, the scammers coerced her into transferring ₹9 lakh in the FedEx parcel scam.

This is the anatomy of one of India's fastest-spreading cyber frauds, and it is costing victims everything.

‍

The Modus Operandi

‍

The most concerning part is the sheer consistency of the script. It usually starts with an unsolicited call, made on a spoofed number that could show up as a legitimate courier or government agency. The caller acts as a FedEx/DTDC executive and claims that a parcel dispatched in the victim’s name to either Taiwan, Iraq, Thailand, or Cambodia has been intercepted and contains drugs, forged passports, or fake credit cards.

As the victim tries to establish that they have no knowledge of this, the scammers smoothly shift the conversation to someone must have impersonated the victim’s Aadhaar number. The victim is now both accused and victim and, therefore, more easily manipulated.

The call is "transferred" to a fake NCB officer or cybercrime cell official. The victim sees a person dressed in uniform seated behind a mock police station set with official-looking documents scattered on the desk. A fake arrest warrant that carries the victim’s real name, address, and Aadhaar number, presumably acquired from stolen databases, is presented to the victim.

This is what the scammers call the "digital arrest." The victim is commanded not to move from the camera, nor leave the house, nor speak to anybody. Scammers take turns monitoring the call, who eventually ask the victim to transfer cash into a "secure government account" for RBI or CBI verification. 

‍

The Psychology of Fear

‍

"The art of scamming is psychological rather than technological," journalist and author Soumya Gupta opines. The scammers use two deeply primal fears: the fear of the police and the fear of social disgrace. Their victims are manipulated into believing that ending the call is tantamount to pleading guilty and that confessing to friends and family will only exacerbate their current circumstances. The victims' isolation is deliberately induced and combined with fatigue and disorientation.

"From a young age, we are taught to be scared of the police and not to question them,” comedian Ankita Shrivastav, who fell victim in October 2024, explains that childhood condition silenced the alarm bells ringing in my head. Shrivastav admitted that her fear of damage to her reputation made her more susceptible to the scam.

‍

The Human Cost

‍

The FedEx parcel scam is targeting everyone, irrespective of age, income, background, or education. Victims of this scam show the kind of different people they are: A 70-year-old veteran journalist was psychologically tortured for eight days in Bangalore, losing 1.2 crores, whereas a 61-year-old retired executive of a multinational was video watched for almost a fortnight in Bangalore, losing 9.14 crores, and additionally, a 25-year-old woman lost 10 lakhs through a video call scam in Coimbatore.

Such a varied mix of victims in such different cases suggests how hard it is to stereotype the ones being swindled: there can be individuals of different age groups ranging from 25 to 70 years old, both educated and non-educated.

‍

Why the Scam Is Spreading?

‍

This FedEx parcel scam is a result of a highly industrialised, sophisticated cybercrime system. The National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal records over 45,000 complaints tagged as specifically 'courier-impersonation fraud' in 2024 alone, where a 1,200-crore loss was registered in that category. 

This scam is powered by stolen Personal Identifiable Information (PII), illegally gathered by scammers through compromised e-commerce stores and rogue registry sites. This data enables the scammers to personalise and tailor the conversation to each individual to make it more believable. Furthermore, fake arrest warrants can be produced within minutes using official-looking templates, and the scammers utilise AI voice cloning and deep-fake videos of government officials. Vast networks of call centres (some based out of India and some overseas, including scam compounds in Cambodia and Myanmar) operate this scam with teams working in shifts. Money is quickly laundered into accounts of 'mule' account holders and quickly into cryptocurrency wallets. Post 24 hours of receiving the funds, recovering money is nearly impossible.

‍

What You Must Do If You Get This Call?

‍

One should always remember: no genuine government official will ever carry out an arrest over a video call. There is no "digital arrest," and this process has absolutely no basis in Indian law. If you do get such a call:

• Cut the call immediately: The scammers have you where they want you if you stay on the line. It is not illegal to hang up on them.
• Do not transfer money under threat or compulsion: No authentic investigative process ever requires you to move money to a "secure government account."
• Never share: your Aadhaar details, bank details, OTP, or passwords with anyone you speak to on the phone.
• Do not provide video statements: Whatever you say can be recorded and used to blackmail you further.
• Verify information independently: Call FedEx India (1800-22-6161) or any courier company using numbers from their official website, never numbers provided to you by the caller.
• Lock: your UPI, cards and Aadhaar biometrics instantly if you feel you have shared information with them.
• Call: 1930 within an hour of money transfer. The rate of recovery is 40-60% within one hour and less than 5% after 24 hours.
• File a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in and an FIR at your local cyber police station.
• Tell someone: Isolation is the scammer's greatest tool. Breaking it breaks the scam

‍

Conclusion

‍

The FedEx parcel scam is also based on a very basic human reaction: the fear of being accused, the urge to obey any figure that represents authority, and the desire to avoid public humiliation. It is designed to skip any part of the brain that may be used to rationalise anything. The only real prevention is to realise, before answering, that the call is never about the FedEx parcel, never from FedEx.

‍

References

‍

• https://www.aol.com/news/fedex-says-parcel-drugs-scam-220400617.html
• https://righttoinformation.wiki/fedex-courier-scam-recovery
• https://www.thenewsminute.com/karnataka/beware-of-fedex-scam-bengaluru-journalist-loses-rs-12-crore
• https://www.digit.in/news/general/coimbatore-woman-loses-rs-10-lakh-in-shocking-courier-scam-heres-what-happened.html
• https://www.deccanherald.com/india/fedex-courier-scam-a-tale-of-terror-trickery-and-deceit-2804802
• https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/bengaluru/fedex-frauds-con-scared-retiree-of-rs-9-crore-2810169
• https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/bengaluru/fedex-frauds-hold-woman-in-digital-captivity-for-8-days-2848168
• https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/bengaluru/how-to-fight-fedex-courier-scam-2836566
• https://www.businesstoday.in/india/story/fedex-scam-lawyer-blackmailed-424883-2024-04-09
• https://www.ncrb.gov.in/uploads/files/2CrimeinIndia2024-VolumeII.pdf‍
• https://www.newsmobile.in/fraud-and-scam/indian-comedian-falls-victim-to-fedex-digital-arrest-scam-loses-rs-9-lakh/
  

Introduction 

The pervasive issue of misinformation in India is a multifaceted challenge with profound implications for democratic processes, public awareness, and social harmony. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has taken measures to counter misinformation during the 2024 elections. ECI has launched campaigns to educate people and urge them to verify election-related content and share responsibly on social media. In response to the proliferation of fake news and misinformation online, the ECI has introduced initiatives such as ‘Myth vs. Reality’ and  'VerifyBeforeYouAmplify' to clear the air around fake news being spread on social media. EC measures aim to ensure that the spread of misinformation is curbed, especially during election time, when voters consume a lot of information from social media. It is of the utmost importance that voters take in facts and reliable information and avoid any manipulative or fake information that can negatively impact the election process. 

EC Collaboration with Tech Platforms

In this new age of technology, the Internet and social media continue to witness a surge in the spread of misinformation, disinformation, synthetic media content, and deepfake videos. This has rightly raised serious concerns. The responsible use of social media is instrumental in maintaining the accuracy of information and curbing misinformation incidents. 

The ECI has collaborated with Google to empower the citizenry by making it easy to find critical voting information on Google Search and YouTube. In this way, Google supports the 2024 Indian General Election by providing high-quality information to voters, safeguarding platforms from abuse, and helping people navigate AI-generated content. The company connects voters to helpful information through product features that show data from trusted organisations across its portfolio. YouTube showcases election information panels, including how to register to vote, how to vote, and candidate information. YouTube's recommendation system prominently features content from authority sources on the homepage, in search results, and in the "Up Next" panel. YouTube highlights high-quality content from authoritative news sources during key moments through its Top News and Breaking News shelves, as well as the news watch page. 

Google has also implemented strict policies and restrictions regarding who can run election-related advertising campaigns on its platforms. They require all advertisers who wish to run election ads to undergo an identity verification process, provide a pre-certificate issued by the ECI or anyone authorised by the ECI for each election ad they want to run where necessary, and have in-ad disclosures that clearly show who paid for the ad. Additionally, they have long-standing ad policies that prohibit ads from promoting demonstrably false claims that could undermine trust or participation in elections.

CyberPeace Countering Misinformation

CyberPeace Foundation, a leading organisation in the field of cybersecurity works to promote digital peace for all. CyberPeace is working on the wider ecosystem to counter misinformation and develop a safer and more responsible Internet. CyberPeace has collaborated with Google.org to run a pan-India awareness-building program and comprehensive multilingual digital resource hub with content available in up to 15 Indian languages to empower over 40 million netizens in building resilience against misinformation and practising responsible online behaviour. This step is crucial in creating a strong foundation for a trustworthy  Internet and secure digital landscape.  

Myth vs Reality Register by ECI

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has launched the 'Myth vs Reality Register' to combat misinformation and ensure the integrity of the electoral process during the general elections 2024. The 'Myth vs Reality Register' can be accessed through the Election Commission's official website (https://mythvsreality.eci.gov.in/). All stakeholders are urged to verify and corroborate any dubious information they receive through any channel with the information provided in the register. The register provides a one-stop platform for credible and authenticated election-related information, with the factual matrix regularly updated to include the latest busted fakes and fresh FAQs. The ECI has identified misinformation as one of the challenges, along with money, muscle, and Model Code of Conduct violations, for electoral integrity. The platform can be used to verify information, prevent the spread of misinformation, debunk myths, and stay informed about key issues during the General Elections 2024.

The ECI has taken proactive steps to combat the challenge of misinformation which could cripple the democratic process. EC has issued directives urging vigilance and responsibility from all stakeholders, including political parties, to verify information before amplifying it. The EC has also urged responsible behaviour on social media platforms and discourse that inspires unity rather than division. The commission has stated that originators of false information will face severe consequences, and nodal officers across states will remove unlawful content. Parties are encouraged to engage in issue-based campaigning and refrain from disseminating unverified or misleading advertisements.

Conclusion

The steps taken by the ECI have been designed to empower citizens and help them affirm the accuracy and authenticity of content before amplifying it. All citizens must be well-educated about the entire election process in India. This includes information on how the electoral rolls are made, how candidates are monitored, a complete database of candidates and candidate backgrounds, party manifestos, etc. For informed decision-making, active reading and seeking information from authentic sources is imperative. The partnership between government agencies, tech platforms and civil societies helps develop strategies to counter the widespread misinformation and promote online safety in general, and electoral integrity in particular. 

References 

• https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2017375

• https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2016941#:~:text=To%20combat%20the%20spread%20of,the%20ongoing%20General%20Elections%202024
• https://www.business-standard.com/elections/lok-sabha-election/ls-elections-2024-ec-uses-social-media-to-nudge-electors-to-vote-124040700429_1.html
• https://blog.google/intl/en-in/company-news/outreach-initiatives/supporting-the-2024-indian-general-election/
• https://blog.google/intl/en-in/partnering-indias-success-in-a-new-digital-paradigm/

‍

Introduction

According to Statista, the global artificial intelligence software market is forecast to grow by around 126 billion US dollars by 2025. This will include a 270% increase in enterprise adoption over the past four years. The top three verticals in the Al market are BFSI (Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance), Healthcare & Life Sciences, and Retail & e-commerce. These sectors benefit from vast data generation and the critical need for advanced analytics. Al is used for fraud detection, customer service, and risk management in BFSI; diagnostics and personalised treatment plans in healthcare; and retail marketing and inventory management.

The Chairperson of the Competition Commission of India’s Chief, Smt. Ravneet Kaur raised a concern that Artificial Intelligence has the potential to aid cartelisation by automating collusive behaviour through predictive algorithms. She explained that the mere use of algorithms cannot be anti-competitive but in case the algorithms are manipulated, then that is a valid concern about competition in markets.

This blog focuses on how policymakers can balance fostering innovation and ensuring fair competition in an AI-driven economy. 

What is the Risk Created by AI-driven Collusion?

AI uses predictive algorithms, and therefore, they could lead to aiding cartelisation by automating collusive behaviour. AI-driven collusion could be through:

• The use of predictive analytics to coordinate pricing strategies among competitors.
• The lack of human oversight in algorithm-induced decision-making leads to tacit collusion (competitors coordinate their actions without explicitly communicating or agreeing to do so).

AI has been raising antitrust concerns and the most recent example is the partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI, which has raised concerns among other national competition authorities regarding potential competition law issues. While it is expected that the partnership will potentially accelerate innovation, it also raises concerns about potential anticompetitive effects such as market foreclosure or the creation of barriers to entry for competitors and, therefore, has been under consideration in the German and UK courts. The problem here is in detecting and proving whether collusion is taking place. 

The Role of Policy and Regulation

The uncertainties induced by AI regarding its effects on competition create the need for algorithmic transparency and accountability in mitigating the risks of AI-driven collusion. It leads to the need to build and create regulatory frameworks that mandate the disclosure of algorithmic methodologies and establish a set of clear guidelines for the development of AI and its deployment. These frameworks or guidelines should encourage an environment of collaboration between competition watchdogs and AI experts. 

The global best practices and emerging trends in AI regulation already include respect for human rights, sustainability, transparency and strong risk management. The EU AI Act could serve as a model for other jurisdictions, as it outlines measures to ensure accountability and mitigate risks. The key goal is to tailor AI regulations to address perceived risks while incorporating core values such as privacy, non-discrimination, transparency, and security.

Promoting Innovation Without Stifling Competition

Policymakers need to ensure that they balance regulatory measures with innovation scope and that the two priorities do not hinder each other. 

1. Create adaptive and forward-thinking regulatory approaches to keep pace with technological advancements that take place at the pace of development and allow for quick adjustments in response to new AI capabilities and market behaviours.n
2. Competition watchdogs need to recruit domain experts to assess competition amid rapid changes in the technology landscape. Create a multi-stakeholder approach that involves regulators, industry leaders, technologists and academia who can create inclusive and ethical AI policies. 
3. Businesses can be provided incentives such as recognition through certifications, grants or benefits in acknowledgement of adopting ethical AI practices. 
4. Launch studies such as the CCI’s market study to study the impact of AI on competition. This can lead to the creation of a driving force for sustainable growth with technological advancements. 

Conclusion: AI and the Future of Competition

We must promote a multi-stakeholder approach that enhances regulatory oversight, and incentivising ethical AI practices. This is needed to strike a delicate balance that safeguards competition and drives sustainable growth. As AI continues to redefine industries, embracing collaborative, inclusive, and forward-thinking policies will be critical to building an equitable and innovative digital future. 

The lawmakers and policymakers engaged in the drafting of the frameworks need to ensure that they are adaptive to change and foster innovation. It is necessary to note that fair competition and innovation are not mutually exclusive goals, they are complementary to each other. Therefore, a regulatory framework that promotes transparency, accountability, and fairness in AI deployment must be established.

References

• https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technology/ai-has-potential-to-aid-cartelisation-fair-competition-integral-for-sustainable-growth-cci-chief/article69041922.ece 
• https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/artificial-intelligence-market-74851580.html 
• https://www.ey.com/en_in/insights/ai/how-to-navigate-global-trends-in-artificial-intelligence-regulation#:~:text=Six%20regulatory%20trends%20in%20Artificial%20Intelligence&text=These%20include%20respect%20for%20human,based%20approach%20to%20AI%20regulation. ‍
• https://www.business-standard.com/industry/news/ai-has-potential-to-aid-fair-competition-for-sustainable-growth-cci-chief-124122900221_1.html