Bengaluru, 12 Nov

The City Police have arrested a cybercriminal from Bihar for allegedly hacking the mobile phones of Kannada actor Upendra and his wife, actress Priyanka Upendra, and duping their contacts through WhatsApp impersonation, officials said.

The accused, Vikas Kumar, was traced to Dashrathpur village in Bihar and brought here after an interstate operation by the Central Division Cyber Crime Unit.

The incident occurred on 15 September when Priyanka, after placing an online order, received a phishing link that granted hackers remote access to her WhatsApp account. Soon after, several of her contacts received fake messages seeking urgent fund transfers of Rs 55,000 each. Unaware of the fraud, a few acquaintances, including the couple’s son, transferred money, resulting in a total loss of nearly Rs 1.5 lakh.

When calls to Priyanka went unanswered, suspicion arose, prompting the couple to file a complaint at Sadashivanagar Police Station. Investigators later found that both Upendra and Priyanka’s phones had been compromised.

Following a digital trail, police traced the crime to Dashrathpur village, which they described as a hub for cyber scams. Officers found dozens of youths, mostly aged 20–25, involved in similar online frauds targeting victims nationwide.

Vikas Kumar was identified as one of the key perpetrators, arrested, and brought to Bengaluru for interrogation. Police said the operation exposed a broader cyber network linked to multiple digital fraud cases.

He remains in custody as the probe continues to trace his associates.