Actor Nagarjuna warned the people at large of the increasing cybercrimes, especially of digital arrest frauds, after he revealed that one member from his family recently became a victim of it. His statement has come during a media interaction after the detention of Immadi Ravi, administrator of notorious pirate website iBomma.
The digital arrest scams have surged through the country, wherein fraudsters impersonate police officers or governmental representatives via audio or video calls. The victims are intimidated and isolated and kept “digitally confined” for hours or days, as scammers demand payments under the guise of legal settlements or emergency penalties.
Nagarjuna shared his family had gone through the same harrowing experience six months ago. “I remember in my own house about six months ago, the same thing happened. One of my family members was digitally arrested for almost two days,” he recounted. The scammers kept a close watch, said he, on the family member, playing on their vulnerabilities to ensure that they did not seek help. Finally, the family went to the police.
“When the police came online, they logged off in a second and couldn’t even be traced,” Nagarjuna said. Though a police official told PTI that Nagarjuna did not file a formal complaint, the actor said the incident opened his eyes to how sophisticated and psychologically manipulative such scams have become.
During the function, Nagarjuna also congratulated the police commissioner VC Sajjanar and his team for catching the owner of the Piracy website called iBomma. He appreciated their continued battle against digital piracy and other cybercrimes that have beset the film industry for some years now.
He used the opportunity to shed light on the hidden dangers behind piracy platforms that seem innocuous. The actor warned that free movie-streaming sites are often fronts for large-scale data theft operations.
“It is just a trap that they are showing you movies for free. They hold no interest in that. They have a bigger plan, and there’s a bigger conspiracy at play,” he said. “This is a huge international racket to collect personal data and exploit people. Like Rajamouli said, nothing is free, and like Sajjanar said, piracy is illegal. Please be careful.”
Indeed, Nagarjuna draws upon the alarming growth of cybercrime in India and citizens’ need for digital awareness. He added that this scamming is becoming increasingly sophisticated. Staying vigilant, he instructed, people should examine any unsolicited messages they receive and trust the police if something is at all in doubt.
