A fabricated video spreading on social media falsely shows Russian Central Bank head Elvira Nabiullina announcing the forced conversion of bank deposits into war bonds.
The deepfake video claims the measure is necessary because of the ambiguous situation in the country. The forged clip states that citizens could only receive profits on the bonds three years after the special operation concludes.
Nabiullina made no such statement. The video features unnatural facial expressions and audio anomalies, and it was created using an older recording of the Central Bank governor.
No major Russian media outlets or the regulator's official website have published the claims. The video appeared online alongside separate rumors that regional government officials were seriously discussing forced deposit conversions.
Officials deny deposit freeze plans
The deepfake was likely produced to lend credibility to the wider hoax. The false claims have not gained traction in mainstream media.
Russian officials previously addressed similar rumors. In May, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said the government was not preparing to freeze bank deposits and had no plans to raise taxes to fill the budget.
Bank of Russia Deputy Chairman Alexey Zabotkin said freezing deposits would be impossible under any circumstances, describing the fears as an absurd theory. The fact checking resource Lapsha Media assisted in verifying the hoax.
