Fact Check: Phishing Alert – Cyber Scammers Are Using Manipulated Videos Of Women For Data Theft
Cyber criminals are using fabricated photos and videos of women to spread phishing links. By animating the photos using digital tools and adding audio, they lure the users to click on a phishing link to get the mobile numbers. Similarly, some videos have been altered with different audio to deceive the users. Clicking on this link can lead to data theft.
- By: Sharad Prakash Asthana
- Published: Mar 20, 2025 at 03:16 PM
- Updated: Sep 29, 2025 at 02:58 PM
New Delhi (Vishvas News). Cybercriminals are using manipulated images and videos of women to deceive people into clicking phishing links. These misleading posts, which are spreading quickly on social media, falsely claim that clicking the link will provide access to women’s phone numbers. Some posts also promote car features as part of the scam.
An investigation by Vishvas News found that these posts often come from specific social media accounts. In some cases, static images of women are altered to appear as though they’re moving, while other videos are modified with different audio to trick users. Experts say these posts are designed to steal personal data.
What is in the viral post?
On March 16, Facebook user Kajal posted a video (archive link) on her account. The video shows a woman asking people to click on a link to get her mobile number. The post also includes a message describing the features of a car and a nine-digit number.
On March 16, 2025 Facebook user ‘Ankita Kumari’ also posted a similar video (archive link) of a woman.
Instagram user ‘payl_nu_987654321’ also posted a similar video (archive link) on March 14, 2025 featuring a woman asking to like and follow the video.
Investigation
We decided to checked the viral posts one by one.
First post
First, we checked the post of Facebook user Kajal. Upon closer examination, it became evident that a still photo had been converted into a video using digital tools. In the video, only the woman’s face and lips can be seen moving artificially.
The message in the post includes a nine-digit number, which looks like an incomplete phone number. The post instructs the users to click on the profile link to get the woman’s WhatsApp number.
To verify the link’s authenticity, we accessed it using a cyber security system, protected by anti-virus software. Clicking on the link redirected us to a website called ‘arenaampal. com’, which contained no mobile number. Users are advised against clicking on any such link, as they may lead to phishing scams.
Further investigation using Google Lens to extract the keyframes of the video revealed that this picture was uploaded to a Facebook group on November 22, 2024.
We analysed the viral video using the AI image/video detection tool Cantilux, which indicated a 61% probability of being AI-created.
Additionally, we found multiple videos of other women on the same account, asking users to click on the link. Each post featured a similar nine-digit number. The account has around 39000 followers. Clicking on the link opens a website named arenaample.com.
Second Post
Later, we checked Ankita Kumari’s post and observed that only the face and lips appeared to move. The same nine-digit number from Facebook user Kajal’s post was also featured. The post urged users to click on the link to obtain the woman’s mobile number, which redirected to the website arenaample.com.
After checking the first 18 seconds of audio through Hive moderation, it indicated a 99.9% probability of being AI-generated.
Upon searching the keyframes using Google Lens, we found the same image on a Facebook account under the name ‘Sangeeta Sargam’.
According to Sangeeta Sargam’s profile, she is a digital creator with around 3.35 lakh followers.
Similar videos of some other women have been posted from the account that shared the viral post. In these videos, users are again prompted to click on the link to get the mobile number. This profile has about 1.05 lakh followers.
Third Post
We also checked the post of Instagram user ‘payl_nu_987654321’, where people are encouraged to like and follow the video to get the woman’s number.
The Instagram account’s bio asks users to click on a link to initiate a video call, which also redirects to the website arenaample.com.
This account has also posted similar videos featuring other women, all with similar messages.
After extracting the key frame from the viral post and searching it with Google Lens, we found this video on the Instagram account ‘miss_pushpa00’, uploaded on March 12. However, the audio in this version differs from the viral video.
According to the profile, ‘miss_pushpa00’ is a video creator from Rewa Madhya Pradesh, with approximately 1.41 lakh followers.
AI Detection Tool Cantilux indicated a high probability of using AI tools in this video.
Expert opinion
We contacted cyber expert Kislay Chaudhary, who stated that clicking on such links redirects the users to a website, but the hidden backend code could be used to steal personal data, potentially leading to financial loss.
Similarly, cyber expert Anuj Aggarwal also cautioned that while the link appears to direct the users to a website, it may contain hidden code that transmits the user’s data to the fraudsters upon clicking.
Conclusion: Cyber criminals are using fabricated photos and videos of women to spread phishing links. By animating the photos using digital tools and adding audio, they lure the users to click on a phishing link to get the mobile numbers. Similarly, some videos have been altered with different audio to deceive the users. Clicking on this link can lead to data theft.
- Claim Review : Click on the link and get the mobile number of women.
- Claimed By : Facebook user Kajal
- Fact Check : False
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