Mahesh Babu with Sitara. (courtesy: sitaraghattamaneni)
Superstar Mahesh Babu and Namrata Shirodkar have issued a statement regarding the misuse of their daughter Sitara Ghattamaneni's identity on social media by fraudsters. The statement shared by GMB Entertainment – Mahesh Babu's production house – and Namrata Shirodkar explains that the fraudsters created a fake social media account posing as Sitara and had been sending trading and investment links to other users. The note read, “ATTENTION! The Madhapur police, in coordination with Team GMB, have issued a warning about a cybercrime incident involving the impersonation of Ms Sitara Ghattamaneni on Instagram. An unidentified user has been fraudulently posing as Ms.Ghattamaneni, sending trading and investment links to unsuspecting users.”
“Authorities are urging the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity. Efforts are underway to trace and apprehend the individual responsible for these activities to prevent future occurrences. The public is advised to verify the authenticity of celebrity accounts before engaging with any financial advice online. Regards, Team GMB,” the note added.
The caption attached to the statement reads: “Attention! This is Sitara Ghattamaneni's only account. Any other handle is not to be trusted except the verified one.”
Sitara Ghattamaneni enjoys a massive fan following on social media and often makes headlines for her dancing skills. She is also a regular fixture on Mahesh Babu and Namrata Shirodkar's social media timelines. Most recently, she impressed fans by dancing to the title track of Mahesh Babu's latest release Guntur Kaaram. Sharing the video jointly with her dad, Sitara wrote: “This one's for you @urstrulymahesh #GunturKaaram.” In response to the post, proud mom Namrata wrote, “You are the best my little fire cracker,” with heart-eye emojis. Sree Leela, who plays the female lead in the film, wrote, “Fireeeeee.”
Namrata Shirodkar and Mahesh Babu have been married since 2005. They are parents to Gautam Ghattamaneni and Sitara Ghattamaneni. Mahesh Babu is the son of legendary Telugu actor-filmmaker Krishna.