- Nagarjuna Akkineni reacted to the arrest of Tollywood piracy kingpin Emmadi Ravi, praising the Telangana Police for their action and warning the public about rising online fraud. The actor also revealed that a member of his own family had been subjected to a ‘digital arrest’ scam for two days.
- Tollywood piracy kingpin Emmadi Ravi arrested
- Nagarjuna Akkineni said a family member was under ‘digital arrest’
- What is digital arrest?
Nagarjuna Akkineni reacted to the arrest of Tollywood piracy kingpin Emmadi Ravi, praising the Telangana Police for their action and warning the public about rising online fraud. The actor also revealed that a member of his own family had been subjected to a ‘digital arrest’ scam for two days.
Nagarjuna Akkineni spoke about digital scams at a press conference on Monday, November 17. The actor attended the event with Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar and several of his colleagues from the film industry.
Nagarjuna cited an alarming incident from his own family and stated that a member was under ‘digital arrest’ for two days.
Tollywood piracy kingpin Emmadi Ravi arrested
The press conference in Hyderabad was hosted to announce the arrest of Emmadi Ravi, the founder of the infamous iBomma and Bappam film piracy networks. He was known for handling multiple websites hosting pirated films. Nagarjuna praised the Telangana Police, saying they “did an excellent job by arresting the accused.” He also noted that the crackdown would help not just the Telugu film industry but films across other languages as well. The actor also utilised the moment to exercise caution and help create awareness around fraudulent websites and online traps.
Nagarjuna Akkineni said a family member was under ‘digital arrest’
At the press conference, Nagarjuna revealed that one of his own family members fell victim to a ‘digital arrest’ scam, an incident that took place six months ago and lasted two days. Speaking about the incident, the Ghost actor said, “I remember in my own house, about six months ago, the same thing happened. One of my family members was digitally arrested for two days. These organisations (fraudulent) will track us and try to find out our weaknesses,” he told the media, stating how intimidating and invasive the situation had been.
Later, when PTI contacted a senior police official for details, the officer confirmed that no formal complaint had been lodged by Nagarjuna regarding the episode. However, the official added that the fraudsters likely disappeared once the police stepped in.
What is digital arrest?
Digital arrest scams have become quite prevalent across the globe. The scam has emerged as a fast-growing form of cybercrime, where fraudsters impersonate government officials or law enforcement officers, intimidate victims over audio or video calls, and keep them hostage online to instil fear and extort money.
(With inputs from PTI)
