Cyber fraud attempt targets Sudha Murthy: Caller impersonated telecom official

Bengaluru Cyber Crime Police register FIR after Sudha Murthy faced an identity theft and impersonation scam attempt.

In a chilling attempt at cyber fraud, Rajya Sabha MP and author Sudha Murthy was targeted by a scammer impersonating a government official. The Bengaluru Cyber Crime Police registered a case on September 20 after the incident, which occurred on September 5.

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According to the FIR, Murthy received a call at around 9.40 am from an unknown person claiming to be an employee of the Ministry of Telecommunications. The caller alleged that her phone number was registered without linking it to Aadhaar and further tried to extract sensitive personal information.

Adding pressure, the scammer falsely claimed her number was involved in transmitting and accessing obscene videos, threatened to stop her services by noon, and reportedly misbehaved with her during the call. When Murthy checked the number via True Caller, it appeared as “Telecom Dept,” making the attempt even more convincing.

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Following the call, Ganapathy Bopaiah lodged a complaint on behalf of Murthy. The FIR was registered under Sections 66C (Identity theft), 66D (Cheating by impersonation), and 84C (Attempt to commit offences) of the Information Technology Act.

Sudha Murthy, nominated as a Rajya Sabha MP in March 2024, is also a celebrated author of multiple books in Kannada and English. Authorities have urged citizens to remain cautious of such impersonation scams.

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