Actor Nagarjuna Akkineni made a shocking claim about the fierce crackdown on piracy platform iBomma, alleging that his family member was put on a so-called 'digital arrest' for almost 48 hours. His statement has incited quite an online debate, questioning the extent of the anti-piracy measures, which apparently have had a surprise effect on citizens.

Nagarjuna Shares Troubling Incident Linked to iBomma Raid

According to Nagarjuna, this incident happened during the massive onslaught against illegal streaming and downloading networks. This crackdown has seen some of its victims getting what appeared to be official calls and messages with claims of possibly accessing pirated content, but then follow up with threats-cum-legal consequences unless instructions are followed.

“I remember in my own house, about six months ago, the same thing happened. One of my family members was digitally arrested for almost two days. These organisations (fraudulent) will track us and attempt to identify our weaknesses. My family member had to approach the police. When the police came online, they logged off in a second and couldn't even be traced." He said. 

Nagarjuna said the relative was one of the victims and in fear simply followed whatever instruction these callers gave. This made the person go into digital confinement and stop using their device freely, being pressured for being available online for two consecutive days. The actor described this "harrowing" episode, with the family being aghast at the psychological trauma inflicted.

Actor Calls for Awareness from the Public

The actor stated that people, all of them, may not be well versed in the nuances of cybercrime and legal procedure. And that makes them easy targets. He urged people to verify any suspicious call or message received, rather than going into panic mode.

Nagarjuna also felt there should be some awareness raised by the authorities on cyber-fraud methods, most importantly since these are prime years for anti-piracy operations. "People should know what is genuinely from the police and what is a scam," he has been quoted saying.

“It is just a trap that they are showing you movies for free. They hold no interest in that. They have a bigger plan, and there's a bigger conspiracy at play. This is a huge international racket to collect personal data and exploit people. Like Rajamouli said, nothing is free, and like Sajjanar said, piracy is illegal. Please be careful," he warned viewers for safety.

iBomma Crackdown Steps Up Hot On the Heels

The government and cybercrime teams have intensified the offensive against iBomma and such piracy sites after the film industry, on several occasions, cried out about revenue losses. There have also been several arrests and raids across states, with a fair warning from the authorities to the citizens regarding the legal risks in accessing pirated content.

Nevertheless, incidents like Nagarjuna's are giving another layer to the debate, hinting that the cybercriminals may just be cashing in on people's fear of legal action to run their own scams parallel to legitimate crackdowns.

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