#FactCheck - Viral Video Falsely Linked to India; Actually from Bangladesh

Executive Summary

A video showing a car caught in a web of electrical wires beneath a flyover is being widely shared on social media. In the viral video, the car appears to be suspended in mid-air, while a large number of people can be seen gathered below, watching the astonishing scene. People standing on the flyover also appear shocked as they look at the scene below. However, CyberPeace Research found that the video is not authentic but AI-generated and is being circulated with a misleading claim.

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Claim:

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An X user shared the viral video with the caption: “#ViralVideo: Car caught in a web of wires beneath a flyover!”

https://x.com/DBhaskarHindi/status/2107022982258553245 

https://archive.ph/YwXja

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Fact Check

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To verify the authenticity of the viral video showing a car caught in electrical wires beneath a flyover, we conducted a reverse image search of its keyframes using Google Lens. During the search, we found the same video uploaded on August 28, 2026, on the Instagram account of an AI content creator, @bhau_mitra_mandal_parbhani. The caption accompanying the video read: “Everyone is shocked to see this sight of a car caught in a web of electrical wires beneath a flyover! The car is dangerously stuck in the wires, drawing the attention of everyone gathered below. How did the car get here? The reason is yet to be revealed.” The caption also clearly mentioned that the visuals were AI-generated. In addition, the words “AI News” and “AI Generated Visuals” were displayed on the video itself, further indicating that the footage was artificially generated.

https://www.instagram.com/reels/DclpJHfgqXr/ 

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To further verify the authenticity of the viral video, we analysed it using the AI detection tool Hive Detect. The tool’s analysis identified the video as AI-generated with a 99.9 per cent probability.

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Another AI detection platform, WasitAI, also identified the visuals in the video as highly likely to be AI-generated. 

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Conclusion

The evidence gathered during our research makes it clear that the viral video showing a car caught in electrical wires beneath a flyover is not authentic but AI-generated. Our research found that the same video was originally uploaded by an AI content creator, where it was clearly labelled as AI-generated. The findings were further supported by AI detection tools, including Hive Detect and WasitAI, which also identified the visuals as highly likely to be AI-generated. Therefore, the viral video is being circulated on social media with a misleading claim, presenting AI-generated visuals as a real incident.

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Introduction

As we navigate the digital realm that offers unlimited opportunities, it also exposes us to potential cyber threats and scams. A recent incident involving a businessman in Pune serves as a stark reminder of this reality. The victim fell prey to a sophisticated online impersonation fraud, where a cunning criminal posed as a high-ranking official from Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL). This cautionary tale exposes the inner workings of the scam and highlights the critical need for constant vigilance in the virtual world.

Unveiling the scam

It all began with a phone call received by the victim, who lives in Taware Colony, Pune, on September 5, 2023. The caller, who identified himself as "Manish Pande, department head of HPCL," lured the victim by taking advantage of his online search for an LPG agency. With persuasive tactics, the fraudster claimed to be on the lookout for potential partners.

When a Pune man received a call on September 5, 2023. The caller, who introduced himself as “department head of HPCL”, was actually a cunning fraudster. It turns out, the victim had been searching for an LPG agency online, which the fraudster cleverly used to his advantage. In a twisted plot, the fraudster pretended to be looking for potential locations to establish a new LPG cylinder agency in Pune. 

Enthralled by the illusion

The victim fell for the scam, convinced by the mere presence of "HPCL" in the bank account's name. Firstly victim transferred Rs 14,500 online as “registration fees”. Things got worse when, without suspicion, the victim obediently transferred Rs 1,48,200 on September 11 for a so-called "dealership certificate." To add to the charade of legitimacy, the fraudster even sent the victim registration and dealership certificates via email.

Adding to the deception, the fraudster, who had targeted the victim after discovering his online inquiry, requested photos of the victim's property and personal documents, including Aadhaar and PAN cards, educational certificates, and a cancelled cheque. These seemingly legitimate requests only served to reinforce the victim's belief in the scam.

The fraudster said they were looking for a place to allot a new LPG cylinder agency in Pune and would like to see if the victim’s place fits in their criteria. The victim agreed as it was a profitable business opportunity. The fraudster called the victim to “confirm” that his documents have been verified and assured that HPCL would be allotting him an LPG cylinder agency. On September 12, the fraudster again demanded a sum of money, this time for the issuance of an "HPCL license." 

As the victim responded that he did not have the money, the fraudster insisted on an immediate payment of at least 50 per cent of the stipulated amount. So the victim transferred Rs 1,95,200 online. On the following day the 13th of September 2023, the fraudster asked the victim for the remaining amount. The victim said he would arrange the money in a few days. Meanwhile, on the same day, the victim went to the HPCL’s office in the Pune Camp area with the documents he had received through the emails. The HPCL employees confirmed these documents were fake, even though they looked very similar to the originals. The disclosure was a pivotal moment, causing the victim to fully comprehend the magnitude of the deceit and ultimately pursue further measures against the cybercriminal.

Best Practices

• Ensuring Caller Identity- Prioritize confirming the identity of anyone reaching out to you, especially when conducting financial transactions. Hold back from divulging confidential information until you have verified the credibility of the request. 
• Utilize Official Channels- Communicate with businesses or governmental organizations through their verified contact details found on their official websites or trustworthy sources. Avoid solely relying on information gathered from online searches. 
• Maintaining Skepticism with Unsolicited Communication- Exercise caution when approached by unexpected calls or emails, particularly those related to monetary transactions. Beware of manipulative tactics used by scammers to pressure swift decisions.
• Double-Check Information- To ensure accuracy, it is important to validate the information given by the caller on your own. This can be done by double-checking and cross-referencing the details with the official source. If you come across any suspicious activities, do not hesitate to report it to the proper authorities. 
• Report Suspicious Activities- Reporting can aid in conducting investigations and providing assistance to the victim and also preventing similar incidents from occurring.  It is crucially important to promptly report cyber crimes so law enforcement agencies can take appropriate action. A powerful resource available to victims of cybercrime is the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, equipped with a 24x7 helpline number, 1930. This portal serves as a centralized platform for reporting cybercrimes, including financial fraud.

Conclusion

This alarming event serves as a powerful wake-up call to the constant danger posed by online fraud. It is crucial for individuals to remain sceptical, diligently verifying the credibility of unsolicited contacts and steering clear of sharing personal information on the internet. As technology continues to evolve, so do the strategies of cyber criminals, heightening the need for users to stay on guard and knowledgeable in the complex digital world.

References:

• https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/cybercriminal-posing-hindustan-petroleum-official-cheat-pune-man-9081057/
• https://www.timesnownews.com/mirror-now/crime/pune-man-duped-of-rs-3-5-lakh-by-cyber-fraudster-impersonating-hpcl-official-article-106253358

Introduction:

With improved capabilities and evasion strategies, the Vultur banking Trojan has reappeared and is a serious danger to Android users. The virus now employs numerous encrypted payloads, encrypted communication, and poses as legitimate apps. It is transmitted by trojanized dropper programs on the Google Play Store. Vultur targets victims via phone calls and SMS messages. With the help of this updated version of Vultur, attackers may take total control of compromised devices. They can perform a variety of remote control operations like install, remove, upload, and download files, halt the execution of programs, and circumvent the lock screen. The virus is now far more hazardous than it was previously because of its improved capacity to remotely access and manipulate machines.

Overview: 

The Android banking malware Vultur is well-known for its ability to record screens. It was first identified by ThreatFabric in March 2021 and targets banking apps for remote control and keylogging.

The malicious apps were hosted on the Google Play Store by the Brunhilda dropper-framework, which was used for its distribution. Initial versions of the program used reputable remote access tools such as ngrok and AlphaVNC.

Hybrid attacks have been used in recent operations to disseminate the Brunhilda dropper via phone calls and SMS. The dropper uses a number of payloads to distribute an upgraded version of Vultur.

41 new Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) commands and seven new Command-and-Control (C2) methods are included in the most recent version of Vultur. 

With the help of Android's Accessibility Services, these enhancements concentrate on remote access functionality that improves the malware's capacity to communicate with the victim's screen.

Modus operandi of Attack:

Hybrid Attack Method:

• Utilizes a phone call, two SMS messages, and trick users into installing malware.

• First SMS tricks victims into calling a certain number by claiming to have made significant, unlawful transactions, which gives the impression of urgency.

• Although there was no transaction in reality, the urgency motivates victims to act quickly.

Trozonized MacAfee App:

• The victims are told to install a trojanized version of the McAfee Security program from a given link during the phone call.

• This app looks harmless and has features similar to the original McAfee Security app, but it's actually the Brunhilda dropper.

• The victims are misled into assuming that the security software they are installing is authentic.

Execution of Vultur Payloads:

• Three payloads connected to Vultur are decrypted and executed via the Brunhilda dropper.

• Threat actors can carry out a variety of malicious operations, including keylogging and screen recording, on the victim's mobile device thanks to these payloads, which grant them total access over it.

• The infected device of the victim allows the threat actors to launch additional assaults or obtain private data.

Indication of the attack:

The symptoms of a Vultur banking Trojan infection include:

• Remote Access: This malware gives the hacker the ability to remotely use the infected device via clicking, scrolling, and swiping through Android's accessibility services.

• File Management: Through this, the malware is able to copy, share, remove, create, and locate files from devices it has infected.

• App Blocking: For instance; the malicious software can be programmed to stop the victims from opening a certain bunch of apps.

• Custom Notifications: Attackers can embed the malware with the functionality of displaying the customized notifications in the taskbar.

• Keyguard Disabling: The malware may be designed to turn off Screen Lock Guard feature so the lock screen security measure can be easily bypassed.

• Encrypted C2 Communication: The malware chooses AES data encryption, with Base64 text encoding to provide hidden traces for C2 communication.

• Payload Decryption: The malware uses native code, mostly written in C as well as C++, to decode the goods, thus, making a process of reversing more complicated.

• Spying on Financial Apps: The malware uses screen-streaming and keylogging as ways of acquiring facts about the victim’s mobile banking applications.

Indicator of Compromise:

File hash (SHA-256)

• edef007f1ca60fdf75a7d5c5ffe09f1fc3fb560153633ec18c5ddb46cc75ea21
• 89625cf2caed9028b41121c4589d9e35fa7981a2381aa293d4979b36cf5c8ff2
• 1fc81b03703d64339d1417a079720bf0480fece3d017c303d88d18c70c7aabc3
• 4fed4a42aadea8b3e937856318f9fbd056e2f46c19a6316df0660921dd5ba6c5
• 001fd4af41df8883957c515703e9b6b08e36fde3fd1d127b283ee75a32d575fc
• fc8c69bddd40a24d6d28fbf0c0d43a1a57067b19e6c3cc07e2664ef4879c221b
• 7337a79d832a57531b20b09c2fc17b4257a6d4e93fcaeb961eb7c6a95b071a06
• 7f1a344d8141e75c69a3c5cf61197f1d4b5038053fd777a68589ecdb29168e0c
• 26f9e19c2a82d2ed4d940c2ec535ff2aba8583ae3867502899a7790fe3628400
• 2a97ed20f1ae2ea5ef2b162d61279b2f9b68eba7cf27920e2a82a115fd68e31f
• c0f3cb3d837d39aa3abccada0b4ecdb840621a8539519c104b27e2a646d7d50d
• 92af567452ecd02e48a2ebc762a318ce526ab28e192e89407cac9df3c317e78d
• fa6111216966a98561a2af9e4ac97db036bcd551635be5b230995faad40b7607
• dc4f24f07d99e4e34d1f50de0535f88ea52cc62bfb520452bdd730b94d6d8c0e
• 627529bb010b98511cfa1ad1aaa08760b158f4733e2bbccfd54050838c7b7fa3
• f5ce27a49eaf59292f11af07851383e7d721a4d60019f3aceb8ca914259056af
• 5d86c9afd1d33e4affa9ba61225aded26ecaeb01755eeb861bb4db9bbb39191c
• 5724589c46f3e469dc9f048e1e2601b8d7d1bafcc54e3d9460bc0adeeada022d
• 7f1a344d8141e75c69a3c5cf61197f1d4b5038053fd777a68589ecdb29168e0c
• fd3b36455e58ba3531e8cce0326cce782723cc5d1cc0998b775e07e6c2622160
• 819044d01e8726a47fc5970efc80ceddea0ac9bf7c1c5d08b293f0ae571369a9
• 0f2f8adce0f1e1971cba5851e383846b68e5504679d916d7dad10133cc965851
• fb1e68ee3509993d0fe767b0372752d2fec8f5b0bf03d5c10a30b042a830ae1a
• d3dc4e22611ed20d700b6dd292ffddbc595c42453f18879f2ae4693a4d4d925a
• f4d7e9ec4eda034c29b8d73d479084658858f56e67909c2ffedf9223d7ca9bd2
• 7ca6989ccfb0ad0571aef7b263125410a5037976f41e17ee7c022097f827bd74
• c646c8e6a632e23a9c2e60590f012c7b5cb40340194cb0a597161676961b4de0

Command and Control Servers

• safetyfactor[.]online
• cloudmiracle[.]store
• flandria171[.]appspot[.]com (FCM)
• newyan-1e09d[.]appspot[.]com (FCM)

Droppers distribution URL’s

• mcafee[.]960232[.]com
• mcafee[.]353934[.]com
• mcafee[.]908713[.]com
• mcafee[.]784503[.]com
• mcafee[.]053105[.]com
• mcafee[.]092877[.]com
• mcafee[.]582630[.]com
• mcafee[.]581574[.]com
• mcafee[.]582342[.]com
• mcafee[.]593942[.]com
• mcafee[.]930204[.]com

Steps to be taken when your device is compromised?.

• Change the password: Vultur revealed multiple cases where threat actors can gain access to your financial and private information. To safeguard your account, reset passwords on other devices and create secure, unique passwords during the time. Instead of simply storing your password, a reputed password manager is the most secure way of storing information.

• Keep an eye on your transactions and accounts: It is advised that you regularly monitor your online accounts for any unusual or illegal activity. Keep a watch out for any irregularities, and report anything suspicious to the provider or authorities straight immediately.. Also check your credit reports and scores attentively to make sure that your identity or cards are not compromised.

• Make sure you are using identity theft protection: Many pieces of information about your identity are stored in an Android device. Cyber criminals can easily get hold of this data and make major damage to you, including stealing your money and identity. For your own protection, some of the identity theft protection services that monitor all your personal information and notify you on any unusual activity and, as well, helps you to freeze your accounts would be beneficial.

• Immediately get in touch with your banks and credit card companies: Your personal information such as credit card or bank details is of high risk to be exposed to hackers who could use them to make transactions without you knowing. You should inform your credit card and the lending bank about the situation as soon as possible. They would help you if your cards were used for fraudulent charges and your card be either frozen or canceled. Besides, they can get new cards issued.

• Make your contacts alert regarding the fraud you faced: Threat actors may access your social media or email accounts to send phishing messages or spam to people in your contact list, if they gain access to them. Moreover, they may masquerade as you and try to extort cash from you or disclose your personal information. Distributing a message to your contacts stating that they shouldn’t open or reply to any messages that look like they are not from you and look very strange or suspicious, will be a great idea.

• Make a backup and wipe all your device content in factory settings: You can always factory reset your device to ensure it is free of viruses and spyware. In other words, it will refresh Android and leave behind all your data and settings. Back up all the critical data prior to processing it and assure that everything is restored from a trustworthy source only.

Preventive measures to be taken:

• Avoid calling back to the hacker: If a hacker texts you claiming to have approved a sizable bank transaction, refrain from picking up the phone. You can always check by making a call to your own financial intuition. However, never pick up on an unknown number that someone else sends you.

• Avoid sideloading apps and shortened URLs: Try to avoid sideloading apps. That's the moment when you install apps from unofficial sources. Users may be tricked into downloading malware using short URLs.

• Be careful granting permissions: Be cautious when allowing permissions for apps. Think about whether an app really needs access to specific data or device functions.

• Limit the apps you have on your phone: On your phone, having plenty of apps might sometimes make it easier to become infected with malware. Over time, these apps may allow harmful code to enter your system, and the more programs you have to update and monitor, the greater the risk to your Android device. This is how to remove pointless apps from your Android device.

• Download apps from reputable sources: Additionally, make sure the programs you download are from reputable and authorized developers. Do your homework and read reviews before you install.

• Keep your Android device updated: With the help of software and security upgrades, your phone can automatically maintain security. Remember to install them.

• Have good antivirus software on all your devices: The best defense against malware on all of your devices is to install antivirus software. By blocking you from clicking on potentially dangerous links, antivirus software can keep malware off your devices and keep hackers from accessing your personal data.

Conclusion:

Vultur is a terrifying banking Trojan with a great deal of sophistication. It's unsettling that hackers can take complete control of your Android device, which emphasizes how crucial it is that you take precautions. It all starts with a text message in these attacks. You must take the time to independently contact your banking institution to check whether there are any issues. You may prevent having your entire device compromised and your personal information exposed by simply investing an additional few minutes.

Reference:

• https://research.nccgroup.com/2024/03/28/android-malware-vultur-expands-its-wingspan/
• https://www.threatfabric.com/blogs/vultur-v-for-vnc\
• https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/malware-adware/this-nasty-android-banking-trojan-lets-hackers-completely-hijack-your-phone-how-to-stay-safe
• https://thehackernews.com/2024/04/vultur-android-banking-trojan-returns.html?m=1
• https://www.smallbiztechnology.com/archive/2024/04/vultur-trojan-heightens-android-app-security-risks.html/
• https://securityaffairs.com/161320/malware/vultur-banking-trojan-android.html
• https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/detections/android-trojan-spy-vultur
• https://www.scmagazine.com/brief/updated-vultur-android-banking-trojan-emerges
• https://innovatecybersecurity.com/security-threat-advisory/windows-server-updates-blamed-for-domain-controller-crashes-kb5035855-and-kb5035857/

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