Actor Upendra, Wife Priyanka Lose ₹1.5 Lakh in Cyber Fraud; One Arrested

Sandalwood actor Upendra and his wife, Priyanka Upendra, fell victim to a cyber fraud after hackers gained access to their mobile phones in September, leading to a loss of around ₹1.5 lakh.

According to police, Priyanka had booked an item online on September 15 and later received a link on her phone. When she clicked on it, her WhatsApp account was hacked, and messages were sent to her contacts asking for urgent money transfers. Believing the messages were genuine, several people—including the couple’s son—sent money.

Priyanka realised the fraud only after multiple transactions had taken place. A total of about ₹1.5 lakh was siphoned off. She then lodged a complaint with the Sadashivanagar Police.

Investigators traced the cyber trail to Dashrathpur in Bihar and arrested Vikas Kumar, a native of the state, for his alleged involvement in the scam. Police said Kumar and his associates were part of a larger cyber fraud network operating from the region, where over 150 youths are reportedly engaged in similar crimes.

The Central Division Cyber Police and the Sadashivanagar Police are jointly investigating the case.