Actor Nagarjuna Akkineni said on Monday that one of his family members had been subjected to a "digital arrest'' by fraudsters for two days, around six months ago.
Speaking at a press conference alongside City Police Commissioner V. C. Sajjanar and other film personalities, Nagarjuna said the perpetrators disappeared swiftly once the police intervened.
"I remember that in my own house, about six months ago, the same thing happened. One of my family members was digitally arrested for two days. These fraudulent organisations track us and try to find our weaknesses," the actor told reporters.
When contacted, a senior police official told PTI that no complaint had been filed by Nagarjuna regarding the incident.
The official, however, noted that the fraudsters must have fled once the police became involved.
Sajjanar was addressing the press conference in connection with the arrest of Emmadi Ravi, who runs several websites that stream pirated films.
Cautioning people to be wary of fraudulent websites, Nagarjuna said the Telangana Police had "done an excellent job by arresting the accused". He added that the crackdown on piracy would benefit not only the Telugu film industry but also films in other languages.
Digital arrest is a growing form of cybercrime in which fraudsters pose as law enforcement officials or government personnel, intimidate victims through audio or video calls, and hold them hostage to extort money.
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