Kannada star Upendra falls victim to cyber fraud; Bihar hacker arrested: Report

Bengaluru Police have cracked a high-profile cybercrime case involving a hacker who targeted Sandalwood star Upendra and his wife, actress Priyanka Upendra. The accused, identified as Vikas Kumar from Dashrathpur village in Bihar, was tracked down and arrested after a detailed investigation that spanned across states.

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The case dates back to September 15, when Priyanka Upendra received what appeared to be a legitimate message related to an online order. The actress unknowingly clicked on a malicious link, giving hackers remote access to her WhatsApp account, said a report by news agency PTI. Within minutes, her contacts began receiving messages asking for ₹55,000 under the pretext of a medical emergency. Believing the requests were genuine, several friends, and even the couple's son, transferred money. Nearly ₹1.5 lakh was siphoned off before the fraud came to light.

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When calls to Priyanka went unanswered, suspicion grew among the victims. Realising something was amiss, Priyanka alerted her husband and manager, only to find that Upendra's phone too had been compromised. The duo quickly lodged a complaint with the Sadashivanagar Police, prompting a full-scale probe by the city's cybercrime unit, said the report.

Investigators traced the digital trail to Dashrathpur village, a known hub for online fraud where many young men are allegedly engaged in similar scams. During their visit, police discovered that more than 150 youths from the area were involved in cybercrimes targeting people across India.

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Following technical analysis and surveillance, Vikas Kumar was identified and apprehended. He has since been brought to Bengaluru for interrogation, as police continue to unravel the wider network behind the operation, the report noted.

(With inputs from PTI)

HT.com has not independently verified the authenticity of this information.

Source: HindustanTimes
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