Actor Nagarjuna Akkineni revealed that about six months ago, one of his family members was subjected to “digital arrest” cheaters for two days.
Addressing a press conference on Monday alongside Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar and other film personalities, Nagarjuna said the culprits disappeared quickly once the police intervened.
He also said that fraudsters, posing as government officials, tricked his family member into believing they were involved in a legal case and forced them into a “digital arrest” trap.
“I remember the same thing happened in my own house about six months ago. One of my family members was digitally arrested for two days. These fraudulent organizations are watching us and trying to find our weaknesses,” the actor said.
Nagarjuna lauded the Hyderabad Cyber Crime Unit for their swift action and urged people to be vigilant and report such calls immediately.
Sajjanar said that cybercriminals are increasingly targeting members of the public as well as the families of celebrities, and stressed the need for greater awareness to prevent such scams.
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The engineer from Bengaluru loses
₹32 crore in the ‘digital arrest’ scam.
A case is registered in connection with a 57-year-old woman who allegedly lost her surroundings ₹32 million in elaboratedigital arrest” A scam that went on for over six months – a scam that is possibly the biggest of its kind in Karnataka, news agency PTI reported, quoting the police.
Fraudsters, posing as CBI officials, enforced what is called a ‘digital arrest’ by keeping her under constant surveillance via Skype. They used threats of arrest to force her to share all her financial details and make 187 bank transfers.
In her complaint, Umarani, a software engineer from Indiranagar in the city, revealed that the ordeal lasted for over six months and ended only after she received a “permission letter” from the fraudsters.
The incident began on 15 September 2024 with a call from a person claiming to be from DHL Andheri, who claimed that a package booked in her name contained credit cards, passports and MDMA and that her identity had been misused.
Before the woman could answer, the call was transferred to people posing as CBI officers. They threatened her and claimed that “all the evidence is against you”. The scammers warned her against contacting the police and suggested criminals were watching her at home.
Read also | Mumbai Police makes ₹58 crore digital bust, arrests 6 people in cyber fraud ring
She kept quiet out of fear for her family and her son’s upcoming wedding. The woman was instructed to install two Skype IDs and stay on video. A man who identifies himself as Mohit Handa followed her for two days, followed by Rahul Yadav who followed her for a week.
Another impersonator, Pradeep Singh, posed as a senior CBI officer and pressured her to prove her innocence. The complainant further stated that the group appeared to be aware of her phone activity and location, adding to her fear.
They told her to verify all her assets with RBI’s Financial Intelligence Unit and produced forged letters to make it look official.
From September 24 to October 22, Umarani shared details of her finances and transferred large amounts. Between October 24th and November 3rd, she paid the assumed bail amount ₹2 million followed by subsequent payments for “taxes”.
Before her son’s engagement on December 6, she was promised a permission letter and ended up getting a fake one. The intense pressure made the woman mentally and physically unwell.
Finally, on December 1st, the victim received a genuine-looking confirmation of permission to proceed with the engagement. However, she then became seriously ill and needed a month of medical care to recover.
In December, the fraudsters demanded processing fees and repeatedly delayed refunds — first to February, then to March. All communication ceased on 26 March 2025. The complainant waited until her son’s wedding in June to come forward and make a formal complaint.
Digital arrest is a rapidly growing form of cybercrime in which fraudsters pose as lawyers or government officials, intimidate victims through audio or video calls, and effectively hold them captive to extort money.
