Jio Payments Bank · AI used against the institution · severity 3 of 5
Ahmedabad cyber-crime police said in late April 2026 that a gang used Google's Gemini to turn victims' social-media photographs into blinking deepfake videos, displayed them on screens to pass Aadhaar facial liveness checks at Common Service Centres, and changed the Aadhaar-linked mobile numbers so one-time passwords went to the fraudsters, according to India Today, NDTV and the Ahmedabad Mirror. In the first complaint the gang reportedly tried e-KYC at three banks and succeeded at Jio Payments Bank, taking a Rs 25,000 loan. Police also named IDFC First Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank and City Union Bank in the banking trail, but reports do not say whether accounts there were opened or only attempted. Four men were arrested, and seven by 8 May 2026.
Record last reviewed Oct 21, 2026 · Markdown
Date
Apr 2026 · disclosed Apr 29, 2026
Institution
Jio Payments Bank
Country
India
AI system
Gemini · Generative AI used, according to police, to turn victims' photographs into 'blinking' deepfake videos that defeated facial liveness checks · vendor: Google
AI?
Described as AI by the institution or regulator
The institution, a regulator or a court called the system AI.
Status
Reported
Severity
3 of 5
Impact
Rs 25,000 loan in the first complaint; police estimated the racket earned Rs 10-15 lakh a year · Victim count not disclosed; police said identities were hijacked to open accounts and take loans of Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000.
What happened?
The case surfaced when an Ahmedabad businessman stopped receiving one-time passwords (OTPs) from his bank for two days and went to the police. Investigators found that the mobile number linked to his Aadhaar had been changed without OTP verification, that a bank account had been opened in his name and a Rs 25,000 loan taken, and that his DigiLocker account had been accessed, India Today and News9 reported. The Ahmedabad Mirror and DeshGujarat describe the complainant as a 36-year-old Thaltej resident who noticed suspicious loan enquiries on a credit report.[1][2][4][5]
According to police, the gang obtained victims' Aadhaar numbers, photographs and data through leaks or unauthorised access, fed a photograph into Google's Gemini to generate a video with eye-blink movement, and held it to a screen during facial authentication so that Aadhaar-linked mobile numbers could be changed using enrolment (UCL) kits at Common Service Centres. NDTV also reported the use of Meta AI. DCP (Cyber Crime) Lavina Sinha told the Ahmedabad Mirror that "the use of AI-generated deepfake videos allowed them to bypass physical verification safeguards".[1][3][4]
With OTPs redirected, the gang attempted e-KYC account opening at three banks using the businessman's identity and succeeded with Jio Payments Bank, through which the Rs 25,000 loan was taken, India Today and News9 reported. In police statements to the Ahmedabad Mirror and DeshGujarat, accounts at IDFC First Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, City Union Bank and Jio Payments Bank were listed among the services the gang accessed, and NDTV said fraudulent accounts were opened at "institutions like IDFC, Kotak Mahindra, and Jio Payments Bank". The reports do not establish whether accounts were actually opened at Kotak Mahindra Bank or only attempted; Jio Payments Bank is the only bank consistently reported as a successful account opening.[1][2][3][4][5]
Four accused, including a Common Service Centre operator alleged to have supplied Aadhaar enrolment kits, were arrested and remanded to judicial custody. On 8 May 2026 India Today reported three further arrests in Assam and Uttar Pradesh, bringing the total to seven, said the gang took personal loans of Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 in victims' names and, according to police, generated about Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 lakh a year, and that police had alerted the Aadhaar authority to "serious loopholes".[4][6]
When did it happen?
- Apr 29, 2026
Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch announces four arrests over AI deepfake videos used to bypass Aadhaar face authentication and open bank accounts.[1][2][3][4]
- Apr 30, 2026
Reports say the gang tried e-KYC at three banks and succeeded at Jio Payments Bank, taking a Rs 25,000 loan.[5]
- May 8, 2026
Police arrest three more accused in Assam and Uttar Pradesh, bringing arrests to seven, and flag "serious loopholes" to the Aadhaar authority.[6]
What was the impact?
- Financial: Rs 25,000 loan in the first complaint; police estimated the racket earned Rs 10-15 lakh a year[2][6]
- Customers: Victim count not disclosed; police said identities were hijacked to open accounts and take loans of Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000.[2][6]
Severity 3 of 5: Material harm with a criminal case: police said victims' identities were hijacked to open bank accounts and take loans, with seven arrests by May 2026; individual reported losses are small (a Rs 25,000 loan in the first complaint).
How did Jio Payments Bank respond?
No public statement found as of 2026-10-21 from Jio Payments Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank or the other banks named (searched national press coverage of the case through May 2026).
What was the outcome, and did regulators act?
Criminal case pending: seven accused arrested and one reported absconding as of 8 May 2026, with police saying they had alerted the Aadhaar authority to loopholes in mobile-number updates. No regulatory action against a bank has been reported. Ahmedabad police advised the public to lock Aadhaar biometrics through mAadhaar or the UIDAI website.[3][6]
How did the Ahmedabad gang use AI to beat Aadhaar checks?
According to Ahmedabad police, the gang fed victims' social-media photographs into Google's Gemini to create short videos with blinking eyes, held them to a screen during facial authentication, and so changed the mobile number linked to the victim's Aadhaar, redirecting one-time passwords to their own phones.
Which banks were affected by the Ahmedabad deepfake Aadhaar fraud?
Jio Payments Bank is the bank consistently reported as a successful account opening, with a Rs 25,000 loan taken. Police also named IDFC First Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank and City Union Bank in the banking trail, but the reports do not say whether accounts at those banks were opened or only attempted.
Was any money lost in the Ahmedabad deepfake case?
Yes, according to police: a Rs 25,000 loan was taken in the first complainant's name, and India Today later reported loans of Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 per victim and police estimates of Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 lakh a year in proceeds. A total loss figure and victim count have not been published.
Did the banks or UIDAI respond to the Ahmedabad deepfake case?
No public statement from Jio Payments Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank or the other banks was found as of October 2026. Police said they had alerted the Aadhaar authority to "serious loopholes" in mobile-number updates and advised people to lock their Aadhaar biometrics.
- 4 nabbed as city cyber unit busts AI deepfake Aadhaar fraud racket news
- No OTP, no problem: Ahmedabad gang uses AI deepfakes to bypass Aadhaar checks news
- Gemini To Meta: How A Deepfake Gang Used AI To Hijack Identities In Gujarat news
- AI Deepfake Aadhaar Scam Exposed in Ahmedabad; Four Accused Nabbed news
- Ahmedabad AI fraud: Gang uses deepfakes to hack Aadhaar, take loan without OTP news
- How AI scammers used social media photos to hijack Aadhaar identities, steal loans news
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