Fact Check: Nirmala Sitharaman endorses investment platforms? No, videos are AI-manipulated
New AI-manipulated videos of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman endorsing online investment platforms are circulating on social media.
By - M Ramesh Naik
Claim:Videos show Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman asking people to invest in online trading platforms that promise huge returns.
Fact:The claim is false. The videos are AI-manipulated to mislead people and promote scam investment platforms.
Hyderabad: Several videos showing Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman endorsing online investment platforms are going viral on social media again.
These clips, shared widely on Facebook, claim that the finance minister is urging citizens to invest money in schemes that offer quick and high returns.
NewsMeter found that these videos are AI-manipulations of real interviews, created to promote fraudulent investment platforms.
This is not the first time such scams have appeared. Previously, similar scam videos of Sitharaman promoting fake ‘Quantum AI’ and ‘auto-trading’ platforms were debunked by NewsMeter.
Here’s how we debunked the latest set of media that falsely showed the finance minister endorsing harmful investment platforms.
Video 1
A video shared on Facebook shows Nirmala Sitharaman speaking in an interview with journalist Sidharth Saini, with the text overlay, “THE SAFEST WAY TO EARN 65,000 RUPEES IN ONE DAY AND 2,000,000 BY THE END OF THE MONTH. NO RISK OF MAKING A MISTAKE.” (Archive)
In the video, she purportedly says, “Those watching this video are fortunate. Now you too have the opportunity to start using this platform and earn over two million rupees every month. This project has received support from the country’s government. The National Bank of India is one of the developers of this platform and acts as a guarantor that participants’ funds are protected and not subject to taxation. More than fifty thousand Indians are already earning money on the platform. Everything is completely transparent and simple. I personally guarantee it. The link below this video is official. By using it, you can start earning money right now.”
Fact Check
A closer look at the video shows that her lip movements don’t match the audio. The voice sounds robotic, a clear sign of AI voice cloning.
Hive Moderation analysis determined that the video is 85.6 per cent AI-generated. Undetectable AI Voice Detector rated the audio 15 per cent authentic, confirming it is a deepfake.
A reverse image search of keyframes led us to the original video uploaded by CNN-News18 on September 5, titled ‘FM Nirmala Sitharaman speaks to News18 on GST evolution.’
In the original version, the finance minister discusses GST reforms, not investment schemes. This confirms the viral clip was manipulated by overlaying a fake AI-generated voice on real footage.
Video 2
Another viral video claims to show Nirmala Sitharaman in a conversation with Sanjay Pugalia, where she allegedly promotes a ‘government-supported investment platform.’ (Archive)
The text on the screen reads, “THIS VIDEO WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE! THE SECRET THAT SHE DISCOVERED. NIRMALA SITHARAMAN: HOW TO EARN OVER 2,000,000 RUPEES RIGHT NOW.”
In the clip, she supposedly says, “This project has received the support of the government of the country. The National Bank of India is one of the developers of this platform and acts as a guarantor that participants’ funds are protected and tax-free. More than 1,00,000 Indians are already earning on the platform. Everything is completely transparent and simple. I personally guarantee it. The link below this video is official. If you use it, you can start earning right now.”
Fact Check
In this video, too, the lip-sync is off and the audio does not align with Sitharaman’s natural tone. Hive Moderation detected the video as 73.5 per cent AI-generated. Undetectable AI Voice Detector rated the authenticity at 31 per cent.
A reverse image search led to the original video published by NDTV on July 26, 2024, titled ‘Nirmala Sitharaman Interview | NDTV Exclusive With Finance Minister.’
In the authentic interview, she discusses Budget 2024 and India’s fiscal strategy. The viral clip was manipulated by replacing the original audio with AI-generated speech.
Video 3
A third viral video shows Sitharaman at what appears to be an online video conference with several participants visible on screen. The overlay text reads, “HOW TO MAKE ONE LAKH IN JUST 24 HOURS WITH NO RISK WHATSOEVER.” (Archive)
In this clip, she allegedly says, “I am offering this only to 30 Indians. This is my personal project. Today is the day that gives you a chance to earn Rs 50,000 today and then Rs 15 lakh in one month. I am giving you a financial tool that changed my life and the lives of hundreds of people near me. I myself use this program and I am 100 per cent sure about it.”
Fact Check
The lip movements and audio are completely mismatched. The voice tone and delivery are inconsistent with the finance minister’s real speech pattern.
AI detection tools could not generate reliable results, but a reverse image search traced the visuals to a video by ANI News, titled ‘From Toothpaste to Cars, FM Sitharaman announces major GST overhaul approved by GST Council.’
In the original press conference video, Sitharaman discusses GST-related announcements, not any investment program. The viral version was manipulated using AI, and cloned audio was overlaid on the original.
NewsMeter found that all three viral videos showing Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman endorsing online trading platforms are AI-manipulated. The clips combine AI-generated voices with real visuals from legitimate interviews and press conferences to deceive viewers.
Hence, the claim is false. The viral videos were manipulated using AI designed to scam unsuspecting users and manipulate public trust using the finance minister’s image.
