Vizag junior artist impersonates social media influencer, cheats man of Rs 1 lakh; held

Hyderabad: Cyber Crime sleuths in Cyberabad arrested a person for financially and emotionally duping a person by impersonating a social media influencer.

The accused has been identified as Thammareddy Shashank Reddy (24), a junior acting artist from Visakhapatnam, who pretended to be ‘Meghana Raghupatruni’ on several social media accounts.

Case details

The complainant told the police that an account claiming to be Meghana Raghupatruni contacted him and they began to talk regularly.

The complainant, Kiran Kumar, also gave ‘Meghana’ Rs 3,000 as help due to her mother’s demise on December 26. Later, he continued to send money for various urgent needs such as hospitalisation, rent payments, EMI dues, and maintenance, believing her to be trustworthy due to her supposed fame and appearance.

Over time, he developed romantic feelings for her, and she reciprocated by promising marriage, leading him to envision a happy future with her. However, Kiran Kumar began to realise that Meghana is taking advantage of his feelings and manipulated him into providing financial support.

Their interactions were limited to text messages on Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, with all transactions occurring through Phonepe and Paytm apps. He also observed her avoiding phone calls and in-person meetings, which raised suspicions about her authenticity.

When Kiran Kumar hesitated to provide further financial assistance, Meghana resorted to aggressive and emotionally manipulative behaviour, threatening self-harm if he refused to comply. Despite his concerns and requests for repayment, Meghana continued to delay returning the money, providing false reasons for her inability to do so.

Meghana claimed to have connections with popular Telugu film artists/celebrities and provided photographs of landmarks in Kondapur and Kukatpally to assert her presence in Hyderabad. Although they never met in person or spoke over the phone, her ‘step-brother’, Shashank Reddy Thammareddy, communicated with Kiran Kumar several times, confirming Meghana’s financial struggles and using his bank account for transactions on her behalf.

In his complaint, Kiran requested legal action against the Facebook profile ‘RG Maggi Meghana’ and also against the accounts of ‘Shashank Reddy’ to which he has given more than Rs 1 lakh.

Modus Operandi

The fraudster proficiently creates counterfeit Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp profiles, assuming the identities of prominent influencers and particularly replicating their accounts with photos and stories. If approached under the guise of a girl, they initiate a virtual relationship through chat. Also, at crucial junctures, the fraudster assumes the role of the girl’s brother, manipulating the victim into believing their authenticity. The fraudster exploits this trust to fabricate urgent needs, ensnaring the victim in a web of deceit until the heartbreaking realisation of being deceived by the fraudster.

The accused has been arrested previously too in a case involving POCSO charges.

Public advisory

To stay away from online frauds, the citizens are advised to:

- Verify social media profiles, especially those of celebrities or influencers, for authenticity through badges or official announcements.

- Be cautious when sharing personal information or conversing with unknown individuals online, especially if they claim to be famous.

- Double-check social media information with reliable sources to spot inconsistencies indicating fraud.

- Avoid financial transactions with unknown individuals from social media, particularly for urgent needs or emergencies.

- Report suspicious activity to the respective social media platform, which usually handles impersonation and fraud.

- Adjust privacy settings on social media regularly to control interactions and profile visibility.

- Educate yourself and others about common online scams and precautions to take on social media.

- Trust your instincts; if something feels too good to be true, verify its authenticity before proceeding.