pi-labs Unveils 2024's Top 10 Victims of AI Deepfakes: From Celebrities to Power Players

pi-labs, a leader in cyber forensics leveraging AI to enhance law enforcement efficiency, has unveiled its list of the Top 10 victims of AI deepfakes in 2024. From celebrities to public figures, many faced online backlash, with A-listers publicly denying fake videos and warning followers.

This year saw a surge in deepfakes due to easy-to-use AI tools capable of replicating real digital content within seconds. Specialized apps now generate deepfake videos, clone audio, and refine details with voice modulation and lip-syncing.

India has also seen its share of victims, ranging from business tycoons to Bollywood stars and sports personalities. Deepfake fraud is now one of India’s most urgent cybersecurity threats, with projected losses of ₹70,000 crore by 2025.

pi-labs’ report, “Digital Deception Epidemic: 2024 Report on Deepfake Fraud’s Toll on India”, reveals a 550% increase in deepfake-related cybercrime cases since 2019, highlighting their growing impact. Ankush Tiwari, Founder & CEO of pi-labs.ai, stated:"Deepfakes are no longer just a technical issue—they undermine trust in the information we consume online. Addressing this requires concerted efforts on multiple levels.”

Here are the top 10 celebrity victims that were in the news:

Rashmika Mandanna

In an instance that proves that deepfakes affect both beauty and the beast, Rashmika Mandanna was among the first stars whose deepfake drew public attention to the AI juggernaut. The Animal star’s deepfake first appeared online in social media platforms. As it went viral, several netizens were alert enough to comment that it was a superimposed video and the original video featured British influencer Zara Patel. Delhi police arrested the deepfake creators to set the record straight on would-be creators of malicious deepfakes. On the positive side, Rashmika was appointed as the national ambassador for promoting cyber safety by the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Alia Bhatt

All deepfakes aren’t destructive. Some are merely disturbing and expose our vulnerability to unsafe deepfakes. A deepfake video of Alia Bhatt participating in the “Get Ready With Me” trend shocked fans because of its seemingly authentic look. Nobody could have guessed it’s a deepfake, and it amassed an astounding 17 million views on Instagram. The hyper-realistic look was concerning the social media users as comments ranged from “Is it legal?” to “AI is getting dangerous day by day”.

Sachin Tendulkar

When the God of Cricket promotes a game, you ought to believe him. Except that he wasn’t talking about cricket but an online game. In a deepfake video of Sachin Tendulkar, the batting legend was heard promoting an online gaming app saying that his daughter Sara is earning Rs. 1.6 lakhs per day by making predictions. The video went viral enough that he felt compelled to take cognizance. The master blaster posted on his verified social media handle that the said videos were fake. He also added that “it was disturbing to see rampant misuse of technology.” When the Gods themselves become victims and are forced to clarify, deepfakes are indeed satanic.

Rajat Sharma

Popular news anchor and Editor-in-chief of India TV Rajat Sharma wrote that a slew of deepfakes are circulating and spreading misinformation in his name. He recounted how his own sister-in-law called from Mumbai asking how much she should invest in the investment schemes. For context, she sent the deepfake video where deepfake Rajat Sharma is interacting with Amitabh Bacchan where the latter is giving tips about investments. In another instance, he says that Ustad Amjad Ali Khan was one day requesting him not to promote spurious medicines for diabetes. Rajat Sharma was inundated with deepfake videos of himself promoting a range of items ranging with joint pain treatment to weight-loss solutions and was concerned about it. He had to approach the Delhi High court to get the deepfakes removed.

Mukesh Ambani

A viral video claiming that Mukesh Ambani launched an AI trading app was debunked after it went viral. The deepfake of a business tycoon is often used by unscrupulous elements promoting their investment scams, cryptocurrency promotions and similar schemes. In a case in Bangalore, two residents were duped of 80 lakh rupees after believing the deepfakes and transferring money. A Mumbai doctor also invested 7 lakh in a trading academy named Rajiv Sharma Trade Group after he heard a deepfake of Ambani urging investors to profit from the investment.

Madhusudan Kela

If you are a stock market investor, you closely follow the opinion of ace investors like Madhusudan Kela while picking stocks. The veteran stock picker had to issue a public statement in social media that the deepfake videos purporting to be his views on investment returns are fake. Whenever a deepfake of a well-known HNI investor promises a high investment return or picks a stock, it can directly influence the stock market.

Sudha Murthy

The deepfakers are promoting investing app by cloning her audio and video. A Facebook video in which a deepfake of Sudha Murthy praises a crypto trading platform and promises a profit of Rs. 28,00,000 if you start with just 21,000 is too good to be true. Deepfake menace has also impacted her husband, Infosys Chairman Narayan Murthy, prompting him to categorically deny any endorsement, relation or association with such apps or websites promoted by his deepfake avatars in his name.

Shaktikanta Das

Before demitting office, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das was a sought-after figure by deepfake criminals. Unsurprisingly, various investment scams were touted, and fake promises were made using his voice and video. The Reserve Bank of India(RBI) issued official cautionary statements alerting the public about the false claims of the launch of investment schemes.

Influencer Ira Sharma

There are worrying figures for every Tom, Dick and Sharma aunty. Ira Sharma isn’t your typical A-lister celebrity or sports icon. She is a typical Indian influencer with a modest yet impressive follower base of 2,60,000. Her profile says “normal girl”, but she is an influencer who is a product of AI tools. She doesn’t exist in reality but is an influencer created by deepfake tools. Ira Sharma could have been a regular human being or your neighbourhood girl who happens to rake in some followers. But the fact is that it’s a deepfake and seemingly harmless at that. In this case, the distinction between victim and attacker goes blur.

Virat Kohli – Shubman Gill

If there is something called “killing two birds with a stone”, deepfakes have proven itself to be a potent weapon. A deepfake video of Virat Kohli slamming Shubman Gill shows how its done. The video that garnered attention online shows King Kohli talking about what Shubman Gill lacks and how he has a long way to go. The deepfaked Kohli says, “I’ve been watching Gill closely, he’s talented, no doubt, but there’s a huge gap between showing promise and becoming a legend”. The AI clone continues, “Gill’s technique is solid, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. People talk about the next Virat Kohli, but let me be clear. There is only one Virat Kohli”. The deepfake may have led to much heartburn among players before it was discovered.