Last week,Nora Fatehi took to Instagram, expressing shock and disappointment as the brand Lulumelon used her deepfake for a promo of a nearly “100% off” end-of-season sale. In an Instagram story, the Bollywood dancer exclaimed, “Shocked! THIS IS NOT ME,” addressing the fraudulent promotional content. To everyone’s surprise, it was later revealed that the entire episode of deepfake was a well-executed collaboration between Nora Fatehi and HDFC, contributing to their ‘What the Fraud’ series.
The whole story of Nora Deepafe and HDFC collaboration
Deepfake Deception Unveiled:
A week ago, Nora Fatehi expressed shock and dismay on Instagram after discovering that the brand Lulumelon had used her deepfake for promotions. The brand’s video showcased a nearly “100% off” end-of-season sale featuring Fatehi.
In her Instagram story, the Bollywood dancer disavowed the promotional deepfake, stating, “Shocked! THIS IS NOT ME.” Surprisingly, it was later revealed that the entire charade was a collaboration between Fatehi and HDFC, adding a twist to their ‘What the Fraud’ series.
Also Read: Decoding Deepfakes: Understanding the Threat and its Implications – Agency Masala
‘What the Fraud’ Campaign by HDFC
HDFC’s ‘What the Fraud’ campaign aims to raise awareness about financial fraud. The campaign introduces ‘Vigil Aunty,’ a superhero combating financial crimes, played by a saree-clad woman. In the latest episode, Nora Fatehi joins Vigil Aunty to discuss the rise of deepfakes as a new menace in the world of fraud.
The ad film delves into the threats posed by AI in the advertising community and to consumers. Fatehi reveals that ‘Lulumelon’ was an HDFC creation, strategically shared across the internet to attract attention. Leveraging AI technology, Vigil Aunty was crafted to closely resemble and sound like Nora with her consent.
Crafting the Deception
Creating the virtual counterpart involved adjusting facial features, proportions, and incorporating Nora’s voice into the AI model. Post-processing techniques enhanced the video’s quality. HDFC went further, creating multiple social media handles and diverse website domains mimicking the characteristics of fraudulent schemes.
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As intrigued shoppers visited the ‘Lulumelon’ websites, Nora exposed the deceptive nature of the promotions, disowning her photos and videos online. A pop-up video in the ‘What The Fraud’ episode unveiled the true nature of the campaign, urging consumers to scrutinize ‘too good to be true’ campaigns.
Empowering Consumers Against Deception
The overarching goal of the campaign is to equip consumers with the tools to identify and prevent financial fraud. Previous episodes of the series featured popular crime show celebrities Anup Soni and Shivaji Satam.
Government Response to Deepfakes
The prevalence of deepfakes, featuring actors like Alia Bhatt and Rashmika Deshpande, and cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, has prompted government intervention. In November, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued advisories to social media firms, emphasizing their legal obligation under the IT Act 2000 and IT Rules 2021 to promptly remove such content.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Nora Fatehi and HDFC collaboration cleverly orchestrated the deepfake as part of the ‘What the Fraud’ series, highlights the growing threat of deepfakes in the realm of financial fraud. This innovative campaign not only exposed the deceptive practices employed by fraudulent entities but also emphasized the importance of consumer vigilance. By unraveling the Lulumelon charade, HDFC aimed to empower individuals to scrutinize seemingly lucrative offers and campaigns, reinforcing the broader mission of their ‘What the Fraud’ series to instill a basic understanding of financial fraud prevention. The government’s response, with advisories on deepfakes, underscores the need for collective efforts in tackling this emerging challenge in the digital age.
