In its latest editorial, The Hindu warns about the rise of online scams proliferating through social media platforms—where deepfake videos, misleading investment schemes and cryptocurrency fraud are rapidly growing threats. A recent case in Hyderabad saw a retired doctor lose over ₹20 lakh after seeing a manipulated video (deepfake) of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman supposedly endorsing an investment scheme. 

Many victims remain vulnerable due to limited technical literacy smartphones are common, but ability to distinguish manipulated content isn’t. Regulatory oversight is still catching up: crypto platforms often slip through loopholes, and many of these fraudulent content sources operate cross-border, using anonymous wallets and jurisdictions that complicate enforcement.

Meanwhile, social media platforms often wait for users to report fraudulent content or for takedown requests before acting, rather than detecting and removing harmful material proactively.

The editorial argues for three essential reforms: clearer regulations (registration, disclosure, cross-border cooperation), broadening tech literacy (especially via education) and requiring platforms to adopt pro-active content removal policies. Without these, the moral, financial and social costs of growing online fraud are likely to continue mounting.