Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Nov 12: Bengaluru Police have arrested a cyber fraudster from Bihar for allegedly hacking the mobile phones of Sandalwood star Upendra and his wife Priyanka Upendra, and cheating several people by impersonating them on WhatsApp.

The accused, Vikas Kumar, was traced to Dashrathpur village in Bihar and brought to Bengaluru for investigation.

The case began on September 15, when Priyanka received a suspicious link after placing an online order. Mistaking it for a delivery update, she clicked it—granting hackers remote access to her WhatsApp account. Soon, several of her contacts received fake messages requesting an urgent transfer of Rs 55,000.

Unaware of the fraud, some acquaintances—including the couple’s son—transferred money, resulting in a loss of nearly Rs 1.5 lac. When Priyanka’s calls went unanswered, the couple realised they had been hacked and filed a complaint at Sadashivanagar Police Station.

A joint probe by the police and Central Division Cyber Crime Unit led investigators to Dashrathpur, a village allegedly notorious for online scams involving around 150 youths.

Based on digital evidence, Vikas Kumar was arrested and brought to Bengaluru. He remains in police custody, and efforts are on to trace his accomplices and the wider fraud network.