Overview

• Priyanka Upendra first received a deceptive delivery message instructing her to dial a number with unusual symbols, after which both she and Upendra made calls.
• The couple say their devices were compromised shortly after the calls, enabling scammers to message their contacts with payment requests.
• Fraudsters allegedly sought ₹22,000 via UPI from people in the actors’ networks, promising the money would be returned within hours.
• Upendra went live on social media to warn followers, and Priyanka urged contacts not to transfer any funds in response to the messages.
• The pair have lodged a police complaint, and cyber crime authorities are investigating with standard advisories to ignore unsolicited financial solicitations.