Digital arrest: Actor Nagarjuna reveals family member fell victim to piracy scam; warns of fraudsters misusing data

HYDERABAD: Tollywood actor Akkineni Nagarjuna on Monday said that one of his family members had fallen victim to a digital arrest scam. He did not disclose the identity of the family member or whether any financial loss occurred.

Nagarjuna made the statement at a press meet organised by Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar, who announced the arrest of Emmadi Ravi, the mastermind behind the iBomma websites that upload pirated movies."My family member fell prey to the digital arrest fraud for two days. After we became aware of it and the police were informed, the accused disconnected the call following police intervention. This racket operates in an organised, international manner," Nagarjuna said, noting that the incident took place six months ago.He explained how vulnerable viewers of pirated movie websites like iBomma are, as these rogue sites access personal data, which is then misused by fraudsters. "Offering movies for free is a trap to attract viewers. The piracy promoters aim to earn thousands of crores. The accused may have earned over Rs 20 crore, as referred to by Sajjanar. The Rs 3 crore seized may just be pocket change for such criminals," Nagarjuna said, alongside other top Tollywood celebrities.

Director S.S. Rajamouli said that there is always a hidden cost when something is offered for free, which can sometimes have serious consequences. "To allow someone to watch a pirated movie for free, investment is needed. The viewers are effectively paying by sharing personal information, which ends up with cyber criminals. The viewer of pirated content is often the biggest loser, even more than the filmmaker," he added.Actor Chiranjeevi emphasised that the film industry must continue to fight piracy in coordination with the Hyderabad police. Referring to Ravi’s earlier social media challenge, "catch me if you can?", Rajamouli said, in a lighter vein, that the arrest was like a scene from a blockbuster movie. "When the villain challenges, the hero finally puts him behind bars," he said.