Kannada actor Upendra, wife duped of ₹1.5L: Bihar man arrested
What's the story
Sandalwood actor Upendra and his wife Priyanka were victims of a cybercrime in September that resulted in a loss of approximately ₹1.5 lakh. Now, the Sadashivanagar Police have arrested Vikas Kumar from Bihar in connection with the case, reported India Today. The incident took place on September 15 when Priyanka booked an item online and received a link on her phone, which led to her WhatsApp account being hacked.
Investigation details
Kumar and his associates were involved in cyber fraud
According to the police, Kumar and his associates were allegedly involved in a massive cyber fraud. After Priyanka's WhatsApp was hacked, messages were sent to her contacts asking them to urgently transfer ₹55,000. Several people believed the request was genuine and sent money. Even Upendra's phone and their manager's phone were compromised when Priyanka tried calling them. The couple's son also transferred ₹50,000, thinking it was his mother's request.
Fraud discovery
Family realized they had been hacked after several transactions
The family only realized they had been hacked after several transactions had already been made. They estimated that around ₹1.5 lakh had been siphoned off before Priyanka filed a complaint with the Sadashivanagar Police. The police traced the cyber trail to Dashrathpur in Bihar during their investigation.
Cybercrime network
Over 150 youths from the region were involved in cybercrimes
During the investigation, officers reportedly discovered that over 150 youths from the region were involved in cybercrimes. Kumar was arrested and brought to Bengaluru for interrogation. The case is being jointly investigated by the Central Division Cyber Police and Sadashivanagar Police.