Woman arrested by cyber crime officers for allegedly cheating people (Representational Image)
A 33-year-old woman was arrested by cyber crime officers in Bengaluru today for allegedly cheating people by posing as a fake television producer and director at ETV Channel, using a Facebook account.
"The accused, Y Sreelatha, was cheating people by using a fake Facebook account in the name of 'Sridevi Tummala' and posing as a producer and director of ETV Channel causing damage to the reputation of the organization," the police said in a statement.
The Chief Manager Operations of Eenadu Television Private Limited, BVR Murthy, filed a complaint against her for cheating.
"She admitted that she regularly watched Telugu serials and was impressed by TV artists Nishama, Sirisha, Karuna and others. While watching a TV serial during July 2018, she saw the name of Sridevi Tummala as a producer of ETV Telugu. She got an idea of opening a Facebook account in the name of 'Sridevi Tummala' and interact with aspirants, who wanted to become television or movie artists. She used to collect money from them and thus led a luxurious life," it said.
"After opening a Facebook account in the name of 'Sridevi Tummala" she sent friend requests to TV artists Nishama, Sirisha, Karuna and others and chatted with them regularly impersonating as the actual producer Sridevi Tummala," the police said.
The police said when aspiring artists contacted Ms Sreelatha on Facebook, she lured them by promising to give a chance in television or movies and collected money from them through bank transfer.
"In September 2018, she lured artist Vamshi by promising a chance in television serial and made him deposit an amount of Rs 50,000 to her bank account," the statement read.
Ms Sreelatha also allegedly cheated a man and collected Rs 6 lakh from him.
"She sent a friend request to one Kranthi Kumar of Manikonda and developed a close friendship with him through Facebook messaging and sent photos of some other woman. He believed and fell in love with Sreelatha by seeing those fake pictures. She took advantage of this and made him pay an amount of Rs 6,00,000 in her bank account at different times," the police said.
She was also reportedly arrested by the Hyderabad cyber crime police in March 2017 for allegedly committing a matrimonial fraud.