#FactCheck - "Viral Video Misleadingly Claims Surrender to Indian Army, Actually Shows Bangladesh Army”

Executive Summary:

A video online alleges that people are chanting "India India" as Ohio Senator J.D. Vance meets them at the Republican National Convention (RNC). This claim is not correct. The CyberPeace Research team’s investigation showed that the video was digitally changed to include the chanting. The unaltered video was shared by “The Wall Street Journal” and confirmed via the YouTube channel of “Forbes Breaking News”, which features different music performing while Mr. and Mrs. Usha Vance greeted those present in the gathering. So the claim that participants chanted "India India" is not real.

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Claims:

A video spreading on social media shows attendees chanting "India-India" as Ohio Senator J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha Vance greet them at the Republican National Convention (RNC).

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Fact Check:

Upon receiving the posts, we did keyword search related to the context of the viral video. We found a video uploaded by The Wall Street Journal on July 16, titled "Watch: J.D. Vance Is Nominated as Vice Presidential Nominee at the RNC," at the time stamp 0:49. We couldn’t hear any India-India chants whereas in the viral video, we can clearly hear it. 

We also found the video on the YouTube channel of Forbes Breaking News. In the timestamp at 3:00:58, we can see the same clip as the viral video but no “India-India” chant could be heard.

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Hence, the claim made in the viral video is false and misleading.

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Conclusion:

The viral video claiming to show "India-India" chants during Ohio Senator J.D. Vance's greeting at the Republican National Convention is altered. The original video, confirmed by sources including “The Wall Street Journal” and “Forbes Breaking News” features different music without any such chants. Therefore, the claim is false and misleading.

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Claim: A video spreading on social media shows attendees chanting "India-India" as Ohio Senator J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha Vance greet them at the Republican National Convention (RNC).

Claimed on: X 

Fact Check: Fake & Misleading

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Introduction

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We were all stunned and taken aback when multiple photos of streets in the U.S. surfaced with heavily drugged individuals loosely sitting on the streets, victims of a systematically led drug operation that has recently become a target of the Trump-led “tariff” war, which he terms as a war on drug cartels. The drug is a synthetic opioid, fentanyl, which is highly powerful and addictive. The menace of this drug is found in a country that has Wall Street and the largest and most powerful economy globally. The serious implications of drug abuse are not about a certain economy; instead, it has huge costs to society in general. The estimated cost of substance misuse to society is more than $820 billion each year and is expected to continue rising. 

On June 26, the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is observed globally. However, this war is waged daily for millions of people, not on streets or borders, but in bloodstreams, behind locked doors, and inside broken homes. Drug abuse is no longer a health crisis; it is a developmental crisis. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has launched a campaign against this organised crime that says, “Break the Cycle’ attributing to the fact that de-addiction is hard for individuals. 

The Evolving Drug Crisis: From Alleyways to Algorithms

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The menace of Drug abuse and illicit trafficking has also taken strides in advancement, and what was once considered a street-side vice has made its way online in a faceless, encrypted, and algorithmically optimised sense. The online drug cartels operate in the shadows and often hide in plain sight, taking advantage of the privacy designed to benefit individuals. With the help of darknet markets, cryptocurrency, and anonymised logistics, the drug trade has transformed into a transnational, tech-enabled industry on a global scale. In an operation led by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Joint Criminal Opiod and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) and related to Operation RapTor, an LA apartment was only to find an organised business centre that operated as a hub of one of the most prolific methamphetamine and cocaine distributors in the market. Aaron Pinder, Unit Chief of the FBI Hi-Tech Organised Crime Unit, said in his interview, “The darknet vendors that we investigate, they truly operate on a global scale.” On January 11, 2025, during the Regional Conference on “Drug Trafficking and National Security,” it was acknowledged how cryptocurrency, the dark web, online marketplaces, and drones have made drug trafficking a faceless crime. Reportedly, there has been a seven-fold increase in the drugs seized from 2004-14 to 2014-24. 

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India’s Response: Bridging Borders, Policing Bytes

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India has been historically vulnerable due to its geostrategic placement between the Golden Crescent (Afghanistan-Iran-Pakistan) and Golden Triangle (Myanmar-Laos-Thailand), and confronts a fresh danger from “click-to-consume’ narcotics. Although India has always adopted a highly sensitised approach, it holds an optimistic future outlook for the youth. Last year, to commemorate the occasion of International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the Department of Social Justice & Empowerment organised a programme to engage individuals for the cause. The Indian authorities are often seen coming down heavily on the drug peddlers and cartels, and to aid the cause, the Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the new office complex of the NCB’s Bhopal zonal unit and extension of the MANAS-2 helpline to all 36 states and UTs. The primary objectives of this step are to evaluate the effectiveness of the Narcotics Coordination Mechanism (NCORD), assess the progress of states in fighting drug trafficking, and share real-time information from the National Narcotics Helpline ‘MANAS’ portal with the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of states and UTs. 

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The United Nation’s War on Narcotics: From Treaties to Technology

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The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is leading the international response. It offers vital data, early warning systems, and technical support to the states fighting the drug problem. The UNODC incorporates cooperation in cross-border intelligence, overseeing the darknet activities, encouraging the treatment and harm reduction, and using anti-money laundering mechanisms to stop financial flows. India has always pledged its support to the UN led activities, and as per reports dated 26th March, 2025, India chaired the prestigious UN-backed Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) meeting held in vienna, wherein India highlighted the importance of opioids for medical purposes as well as the nation’s notable advancements in the field. 

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Resolution on June 26: From Commemoration to Commitment

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Let June 26 be more than a date on the calendar- let it echo as a call to action, a day when awareness transforms into action, and resolve becomes resistance. On this day, CyberPeace resolves the following:

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• To treat addicts as victims rather than criminals and to pitch for reforms to provide access to reasonably priced, stigma-free rehabilitation.
• To integrate anti-drug awareness into digital literacy initiatives and school curricula in order to teach frequently and early.
• To demand responsibility and accountability from online marketplaces and delivery services that unwittingly aid traffickers
• To tackle the demand side through employment, mental health services, and social protection, particularly for at-risk youth.

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References

• https://www.gatewayfoundation.org/blog/cost-of-drug-addiction/#:~:text=The%20estimated%20cost%20for%20substance,Alcohol%3A%20%24249%20billion 
• https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/drugs/index-new.html 
• https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/global-operation-targets-darknet-drug-trafficking 
• https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/dark-web-crypto-drones-emerge-as-challenges-in-fight-against-drug-trafficking-amit-shah/article69088383.ece 
• https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2028704 
• https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2025/Mar/26/in-a-first-india-chairs-un-forum-on-narcotics-pledges-to-improve-access-to-pain-relief-and-palliative-care 

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Introduction

AI has transformed the way we look at advanced technologies. As the use of AI is evolving, it also raises a concern about AI-based deepfake scams. Where scammers use AI technologies to create deep fake videos, images and audio to deceive people and commit AI-based crimes. Recently a Kerala man fall victim to such a scam. He received a WhatsApp video call, the scammer impersonated the face of the victim’s known friend using AI-based deep fake technology. There is a need for awareness and vigilance to safeguard ourselves from such incidents.

Unveiling the Kerala deep fake video call Scam

The man in Kerala received a WhatsApp video call from a person claiming to be his former colleague in Andhra Pradesh. In actuality, he was the scammer. He asked for help of 40,000 rupees from the Kerala man via google pay. Scammer to gain the trust even mentioned some common friends with the victim. The scammer said that he is at the Dubai airport and urgently need the money for the medical emergency of his sister.

As AI is capable of analysing and processing data such as facial images, videos, and audio creating a realistic deep fake of the same which closely resembles as real one. In the Kerala Deepfake video call scam the scammer made a video call that featured a convincingly similar facial appearance and voice as same to the victim’s colleague which the scammer was impersonating. The Kerala man believing that he was genuinely communicating with his colleague, transferred the money without hesitation. The Kerala man then called his former colleague on the number he had saved earlier in his contact list, and his former colleague said that he has not called him.  Kerala man realised that he had been cheated by a scammer, who has used AI-based deep-fake technology to impersonate his former colleague.

Recognising Deepfake Red Flags

Deepfake-based scams are on the rise, as they pose challenges that really make it difficult to distinguish between genuine and fabricated audio, videos and images. Deepfake technology is capable of creating entirely fictional photos and videos from scratch. In fact, audio can be deepfaked too, to create “voice clones” of anyone.

However, there are some red flags which can indicate the authenticity of the content:

• Video quality- Deepfake videos often have compromised or poor video quality, and unusual blur resolution, which might pose a question to its genuineness.
• Looping videos: Deepfake videos often loop or unusually freeze or where the footage repeats itself, indicating that the video content might be fabricated.
• Verify Separately: Whenever you receive requests for such as financial help, verify the situation by directly contacting the person through a separate channel such as a phone call on his primary contact number.
• Be vigilant: Scammers often possess a sense of urgency leading to giving no time to the victim to think upon it and deceiving them by making a quick decision. So be vigilant and cautious when receiving and entertaining such a sudden emergency which demands financial support from you on an urgent basis.
• Report suspicious activity: If you encounter such activities on your social media accounts or through such calls report it to the platform or to the relevant authority.

Conclusion

The advanced nature of AI deepfake technology has introduced challenges in combatting such AI-based cyber crimes. The Kerala man’s case of falling victim to an AI-based deepfake video call and losing Rs 40,000 serves as an alarming need to remain extra vigilant and cautious in the digital age. So in the reported incident where Kerala man received a call from a person appearing as his former colleague but in actuality, he was a scammer and tricking the victim by using AI-based deepfake technology. By being aware of such types of rising scams and following precautionary measures we can protect ourselves from falling victim to such AI-based cyber crimes. And stay protected from such malicious scammers who exploit these technologies for their financial gain. Stay cautious and safe in the ever-evolving digital landscape.