90% Indians exposed to fake endorsements in 2025: Deepfake Deception List

A new McAfee report warns that deepfake-driven celebrity endorsement scams are rising sharply in India, exposing millions to fake ads, manipulated videos, and phishing traps

Around 90 per cent of Indians are exposed to fake or artificial intelligence (AI)-generated celebrity endorsements in India, with victims losing an average of ₹34,500, according to a report by security services firm McAfee. 

 

McAfee, in its report titled ‘Most Dangerous Celebrity: Deepfake Deception List’ highlighted how cybercriminals used the names and likenesses of celebrities to trick people into scams. In 2025, Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan ranked as the most exploited celebrity, followed by Alia Bhatt and Tesla’s Elon Musk. These names, according to the report, were most frequently used in AI-driven deepfakes to promote fake endorsements, giveaways, and drive people toward scam websites, phishing links, or malicious downloads. 

 

“Deepfakes have changed the game for cybercriminals. They’re no longer hacking systems, they’re hacking human trust,” said Pratim Mukherjee, senior director of engineering, McAfee, in a statement. “India’s vibrant celebrity culture and massive online engagement make the threat even more dangerous. Technology can now effortlessly mimic the voices, faces, and mannerisms of people we admire. In a country where millions engage with celebrity and influencer content daily, such fakes can spread instantly. It’s becoming harder to tell what’s real and what’s not, making awareness, caution, and reliable protection tools more critical than ever.”

 

In 2024, Indians collectively spent 1.1 trillion hours on their smartphones, according to a report by FICCI and EY. McAfee’s report showcased that 95 per cent of India’s population use WhatsApp, 94 per cent of people use YouTube, and 84 per cent use Instagram. 

 

“McAfee’s findings show that younger users are the most at risk: 62 per cent of those aged 35 to 44 and 60 per cent of 25 to 34-year-olds admitted to clicking on fake celebrity ads, compared to 53 per cent among 18 to 24-year-olds. Scepticism increases with age, as only  46 per cent of 45 to 54-year-olds and just 17 per cent of those over 65 said they had ever fallen for such scams,” it said in a statement. 

 

This comes at a time when several actors have opted for legal protection against deepfakes and AI-generated content or unauthorised use of their identities on social media platforms. Actors like Akshay Kumar, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Amitabh Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Karan Johar, and Asha Bhosle have already secured court protection in the last few months in this matter, as per media reports.