Popular sandalwood actor and director Upendra and his wife Priyanka Upendra fell victim to cybercrime after their mobile phones were hacked. The hackers allegedly sent messages to the couple's contacts, demanding 22,000 through UPI transfers and promising to return the amount within a couple of hours.
The incident began when Priyanka received a suspicious message claiming an order could not be delivered due to an issue and asking her to dial a number containing symbols. Both Priyanka and Upendra attempted to call from their phones, after which their devices were compromised.
Shocked by the intrusion, Upendra went live on social media urging people not to respond to such fraudulent requests.
“A message came to my wife Priyanka's phone… we dialled from Priyanka's phone and then from mine too, both our phones got hacked,” Upendra explained.
Priyanka also appealed to the public, stating:
“My phone and Uppi's phone have been hacked. Some people are asking for money through UPI. We appeal to everyone not to send any money. That's not us.”
The couple have filed a formal complaint with the police.
Upendra is known for films Mukunda Murari, Upendra Matte Baa, I Love You, Home Minister, to name a few.
Priyanka Upendra appeared in Kannada films predominantly, along with Tamil and Bengali films. She made a special appearance in the Kannada film Gowri (2024).
