Fact Check: Viral Facebook Ad Promising Rs 535,500 a Week Uses an AI-Generated Deepfake of Binod Chaudhary to Promote Fake Investment Platform

Kathmandu. A verified Facebook page named 'Paulo Battista' published a paid promotional video on Monday featuring billionaire entrepreneur Binod Chaudhary and podcaster Sanjay Silwal Gupta appearing to discuss an investment platform. The video claims that the Government of Nepal has introduced an investment platform that guarantees an income of Rs 535,500 per week, and provides a registration link for users.

However, the Techpana Fact Check Desk confirmed that the claim is false. The video was found to be a manipulated version of a real podcast created using AI. Similarly, the link included in the video redirects users to a cloned version of The Kathmandu Post, containing fake news articles designed to resemble genuine reports. Clicking the link prompts users to enter sensitive information.

These findings confirm that the video was created and promoted to lure users with false financial promises and steal sensitive data.

Investigation

On Monday, July 20, 2026, at 2:56 p.m., a verified Facebook page named 'Paulo Battista' posted a paid promotional video designed to look like a podcast clip. The advertisement was specifically targeted at users in Nepal.

The video features Sanjay Silwal Gupta interviewing Binod Chaudhary. Its caption reads, "This statement has shaken the country: here's how it will affect everyone."

The video also displays the following message: "THE GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT PLATFORM GUARANTEES AN INCOME OF 535,500 NPR PER WEEK. INVEST 38,318 TODAY AND RECEIVE YOUR FIRST PAYMENT TO YOUR BANK ACCOUNT TOMORROW."

By the time this fact check was prepared, the post had received more than 179 reactions and 17 comments. Since the advertisement was geographically targeted, it could not be archived. For security reasons, Techpana has not included the original link, but a screen recording has been preserved.

After the advertisement appeared in Facebook feeds, the Techpana Fact Check Desk began a detailed analysis.

The first point of suspicion was the account itself. It raised questions as to why a verified account with a foreign name would spend money promoting a Nepali podcast and a platform allegedly launched by the Nepal government.

The video was then examined. Although the voices closely resembled those of Binod Chaudhary and Sanjay Silwal Gupta, subtle robotic characteristics were detected. When analyzed using Hive Moderation, the video was identified as 99 percent AI-generated.

Techpana then searched for the source of the footage and found a 1-hour 57-minute podcast featuring Binod Chaudhary on the Sanjay Silwal Gupta YouTube channel, published on July 20, 2026. Nowhere in the original podcast does Chaudhary promote any investment platform or claim that people can earn money by investing.

The link embedded in the advertisement was then safely tested in a sandbox environment. It led to a phishing website designed to imitate The Kathmandu Post.

The fake website misuses The Kathmandu Post's logo, layout, and branding. It also falsely attributes an article to journalists Matrika Dahal and Durga Dulal, making it appear authentic. The article appears to have been published on July 20, 2026, but a search found no genuine Kathmandu Post article with the same title.

The fake article promotes a platform called 'Prime Aura', claiming that Nepal Oil Corporation has invested in it. However, no evidence was found that such a platform exists or that Nepal Oil Corporation has invested in it. In other words, the name, logo, and design of The Kathmandu Post were misused to deceive users.

An analysis of the various links embedded on the website also indicated that the platform was designed to steal users' sensitive information.

A WHOIS Lookup of the domain revealed the platform's registration details.

The investigation also found fake comments posted on the website to make visitors believe that other users had successfully earned money through the platform.

Meanwhile, CG Group also issued a statement warning the public that Binod Chaudhary's image and voice were being misused through deepfake videos for scams. Read the news.

These findings confirm that Binod Chaudhary's image and voice were manipulated using deepfake technology to promote a fake investment platform. Clicking such links and entering personal information could expose users to cyber threats.

Claims

• Investing Rs 38,318 today in an investment platform called 'Prime Aura', allegedly launched by the Nepal government, guarantees an income of Rs 535,500 per week, with the first payment arriving in a bank account the next day.

• Nepal Oil Corporation has invested in the platform.

• Entrepreneur Binod Chaudhary introduced the platform during an interview with podcaster Sanjay Silwal Gupta.

Claimants

The claims were spread through paid promotional videos published by a verified Facebook page named 'Paolo Batista' and a fake phishing website that misused The Kathmandu Post's logo and the names of its journalists to appear legitimate. 

Facts

• Deepfake video: The Facebook video is not real and was created using AI. According to Hive Moderation, it is 99.9 percent AI-generated.

• Real podcast: The original 1-hour 57-minute podcast featuring Binod Chaudhary on Sanjay Silwal Gupta's YouTube channel contains no discussion about any investment platform or guaranteed earnings.

• Fake website: The link directs users to a phishing website impersonating The Kathmandu Post, using fake journalist bylines and fabricated comments to mislead visitors.

• Platform verification: There is no official evidence that the claimed platform 'Prime Aura' exists or that Nepal Oil Corporation has invested in it.

• Official warning: CG Group has publicly warned that Binod Chaudhary's image and voice are being misused in deepfake scam videos.

Conclusion

The video circulating on social media and the investment claims made in it are completely false.

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