Cyber fraudster who hacked actor Upendra and Priyanka Upendra’s phones arrested

Bengaluru : In a major breakthrough, Sadashivanagar police have arrested a cyber fraudster who hacked the mobile phones of Kannada film star and director Upendra and his wife, actress Priyanka Upendra. The accused, identified as Vikas Kumar from Bihar, was traced and apprehended in Sonia Nagar, Delhi, before being brought to Bengaluru for interrogation.

According to police sources, the case dates back to September 15, when Priyanka Upendra received a suspicious phone call from an unknown number. The caller posed as a delivery agent and claimed, “Your parcel cannot be delivered as the address seems unclear. Please verify by dialing this number.” As soon as she called the number, her phone was hacked.

Believing it to be a technical glitch, Priyanka reportedly asked her husband Upendra and a family acquaintance, Mahadev, to dial the same number. Unfortunately, their phones too were immediately compromised. Soon after, the hacker gained access to their WhatsApp accounts and began sending messages to their contacts, claiming that the couple urgently needed money.

Several individuals, assuming the messages were genuine, transferred funds. Even the couple’s son reportedly transferred ₹50,000. Realizing the fraud, Upendra and Priyanka personally approached the Sadashivanagar Police and the Central Division Cyber Crime unit to file a complaint.

Investigations revealed that approximately ₹1.65 lakh had been siphoned off through four different bank accounts. Police found that a group of 20 to 25 young men from Bihar were involved in similar cybercrimes, with over 100 people suspected to be part of the wider network. With the help of local police in Bihar, Vikas Kumar was nabbed and brought to Bengaluru for detailed questioning.

Authorities said the accused had been part of a larger syndicate targeting celebrities and high-profile individuals across India. The investigation aims to trace others linked to the operation and recover the siphoned funds.

Upendra and Priyanka, in a social media video released soon after the September incident, had urged the public to remain vigilant against such cyber frauds, warning that even celebrities were not immune to digital scams.

The Sadashivanagar police have intensified their efforts to crack down on organized cybercrime rings that exploit the misuse of technology, emphasizing the growing challenge of safeguarding personal data in the digital age.

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