Anup Soni Warns Against Deepfake Video Promoting IPL Betting: 'Things Are Getting Manipulated These Days'

Actor Anup Soni issued a public warning on Sunday regarding a deepfake video of him circulating online that fraudulently promotes IPL betting, manipulating his voice in clips from the show 'Crime Patrol'.

The video utilises clips from the true-crime anthology show 'Crime Patrol', in which Soni serves as the host, and manipulates his voice using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to endorse betting and solicit viewers to join a Telegram group.

In the video, Anup's AI-generated voice can be heard saying, "Ek aise bande ke baare me batane ja raha hun, jiska naam sun kar bookie log kaanpte hain, kyuki isne back to back 39 matches pass dia hain. Rohit Khattar jo sabse bada cricket ka fixer hain, jo bade bade matches fix karke jail bhi ja chuka hain. Iska Telegram join kariye."

Condemning the video, Anup said in a statement: "This is a complete fake video, and we all have to be alert as to how and to what extent things are getting manipulated these days. The voice totally seems like I'm only saying. Even video clips are from 'Crime Patrol'. Please be alert, people."

The video has garnered millions of views, raising concerns about the proliferation of deepfakes and their potential for misuse. Earlier, actors like Ranveer Singh and Aamir Khan have also been victims of deepfake videos. Meanwhile, Anup last featured in the web series 'Saas Bahu Achaar Pvt. Ltd.'