How fraudsters used Andhra CM Naidu’s deepfake audios to cheat unemployed youth of ₹12L

Anakapalle: Police have busted an inter-district fraud racket that cheated unemployed youth by falsely claiming links with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s Office (CMO) and promising government jobs in exchange for money.

Two accused were arrested for collecting over Rs 12 lakh from victims by using fake audio clips and impersonation tactics.

Fake CMO links, false job promises

According to police, the accused lured victims by claiming they had high-level connections in the Chief Minister’s Office (CM Peshi) and could secure government jobs through influence.

One woman from Rolugunta mandal, who was preparing for the DSC examination, was targeted through her husband by the main accused, who promised her an SGT post in the February 2025 DSC for Rs 15 lakh.

Deepfake audio used to gain trust

To gain credibility, the accused sent a fake audio clip mimicking the voice of Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu. Whenever the victims expressed suspicion, they were made to speak on a conference call with another accused posing as the personal assistant of Minister Nara Lokesh.

Believing the assurances, the victims paid about Rs 12.13 lakh in instalments.

Complaint and Police Investigation

When the promised job did not materialise, the victims approached the Rolugunta police. Acting swiftly on the complaint and using technical evidence, police tracked and arrested the accused.

Accused Details

Eragorla Sreenu (Prime Accused): A resident of Prakasam district, arrested on January 16. Police said he is a habitual offender who earlier cheated victims by promising a lineman post in Vijayawada (Rs 2.5 lakh) and an SI post in Addanki (Rs 11 lakh).

Shaik Saleem (Second Accused): A resident of Vijayawada, arrested on January 22. He impersonated a minister’s PA for Rs 50,000 and threatened victims to extract money.

SP’s warning to the public

Anakapalli District SP Tuhin Sinha said government jobs are filled strictly through merit and official procedures. He cautioned the public not to trust anyone demanding money in the name of the CMO or ministers’ offices and urged people to immediately report such fraud.

Police team commended

The SP congratulated Anakapalli Sub-Division DSP M. Shravanthi, CI G. Koteswara Rao, Rolugunta SI P. Ramakrishna Rao, and their team for efficiently cracking the case and arresting the accused.