Bengaluru, May 27: A shocking case of cybercrime has emerged from Karnataka, where AI-generated videos and pictures of US President Donald Trump were used to lure people into a fraudulent investment scheme. The scam, carried out through a fake app named "Trump Hotel Rental", promised sky-high returns and remote job opportunities. Over 800 investors were reportedly duped of INR 2 Crore, with more than 200 victims filing complaints across cities like Bengaluru, Tumakuru, Mangaluru, and Haveri.

Cybercrime, Economic Offences and Narcotics (CEN) police units across Karnataka have launched a probe into the scam after receiving multiple complaints. According to a Times of India report, the fraudsters created a seemingly professional app using AI-generated content to portray Donald Trump endorsing the investment venture. Victims were promised more than 100% profit in short durations, and were asked to deposit initial sums starting from INR 1,500. As part of the ploy, users were assigned daily "tasks" and were shown rising earnings on the app’s dashboard to gain their trust and encourage larger investments. ‘Scam in Mining Contracts’: Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot Gets Complaint Against CM Siddaramaiah.

As per an Indian Express report, one of the complainants, a 38-year-old advocate from Karnataka, said he was first introduced to the app through YouTube Shorts. The promotional videos led him to download the "Trump Hotel Rental" app and fill out a form with personal and bank details. Initially, he received daily returns of INR 30 and was able to withdraw once his balance crossed INR 300. Convinced by the smooth payouts, he continued investing, eventually depositing over INR 5.9 lakh between January and April this year. However, when he tried to withdraw a larger sum after paying a so-called "tax", the money never came back. Investment Scam in Bengaluru: Woman Defrauded of INR 2 Crore in ‘High Return’ Stock Trading Scheme.

The victims claim they were lured by promises of remote work and fast profits, only to realise too late that the earnings were fake. Police say more than 15 FIRs have been filed in Haveri alone, and many more victims are yet to come forward. Authorities believe the scammers used fake dashboards and manipulated data to simulate legitimate transactions, making the fraud difficult to detect in its early stages. Investigations are ongoing to trace the culprits and recover the lost funds.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 27, 2025 03:47 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).