Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has warned his fans not to use an app advertised by a deep fake video of him while Indian police continue to investigate the case.
Former international cricketer Tendulkar became aware of the video earlier this month and took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to inform his fans of the scam and ask them to report the clip.
“These videos are fake. It is disturbing to see rampant misuse of technology. Request everyone to report videos, ads & apps like these in large numbers. Social media platforms need to be alert and responsive to complaints. Swift action from their end is crucial to stopping the spread of misinformation and fake news.” he wrote.
While Tendulkar, who retired in 2013 and is still one of India’s most famous and loved cricket stars, does have endorsement deals with numerous brands, the video that saw him advertising a gambling app recently was entirely fake.
In the video, the 50-year-old former captain of the Indian national team is seemingly promoting an app and even talks about how his daughter won a large amount of money playing games on it.
The footage uses manipulated video and audio files to make it look like the real Sachin Tendulkar can be seen and heard, and authorities are already looking into the incident.
Police in Mumbai are currently investigating the video and have so far managed to track the IP address of the person or persons who uploaded it to the Philippines. A Hotmail account associated with the uploader has also been found and work to unmask and encounter the perpetrators is ongoing.
