HYDERABAD: A cyber fraudster posing as a bank official once tried to lure actor Akkineni Nagarjuna into investing in stocks, but he escaped the trap, unlike a relative who was kept under ‘digital arrest’ at home for nearly six to seven hours.
Speaking at a Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) event at TGICCC on Friday as part of its statewide campaign, ‘Suraksha Ka Tiranga — Towards a Cyber Independent Telangana’, Nagarjuna urged people to remain vigilant against cyber fraud.
Recounting an incident from four or five years ago, Nagarjuna said an unknown caller claiming to be a bank official tried to persuade him to invest in stocks. “He was so good at marketing this thing, and finally I was not giving him anything, including my name, everything,” he said.
The caller even tried to flatter him, telling him, “Nagarjuna garu, I heard that you were very smart in business and other issues, why are you not interested in investments?”
The actor said another incident involving a family member showed how far such scams could go. “She was in digital arrest at home for almost six to seven hours,” he said, adding that she eventually contacted the cybercrime police. That incident too occurred four or five years ago.
Sharing some of his own precautions, Nagarjuna said, “I actually change my password every 15 days and I change my Wi-Fi every two months. I do not take photos and store them on my phone.”
Speaking at the event, DGP CV Anand said Telangana residents lost nearly Rs 250 crore to thefts and robberies, compared with around Rs 1,750 crore to cybercrime in the last year. He said investment frauds account for more than 60% of reported cases amid the emergence of over 40 types of cybercrimes.