Actor Nagarjuna Akkineni used a Hyderabad cyber-awareness event to caution the public about online scams, sharing personal experiences and urging vigilance amidst growing cyber threats across India.
Nagarjuna Akkineni used a cyber-awareness event in Hyderabad on Friday to warn people against falling for online scams, telling the audience that even well-known public figures can be approached by fraudsters. The actor was the chief guest at the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau’s “Suraksha Ka Tiranga” campaign, where officials also encouraged people to be cautious about unknown calls, messages and investment pitches. According to Telangana Today, senior police officers including DGP C.V. Anand and TGCSB director Shikha Goel attended the programme.
Akkineni said he had personally been targeted about four years ago by someone claiming to be linked to a bank and offering an investment opportunity. He also described a separate episode involving a relative in Iran, where scammers allegedly posed as police officers and claimed drugs had been found in the relative’s luggage. The actor said he now treats digital security as a routine concern, regularly changes his passwords and avoids sharing sensitive details or reacting impulsively to suspicious requests.
The event reflected a wider push across India to build public awareness of cybercrime, particularly among students and families. CyberDefender says it has run free awareness sessions for schools and colleges on topics including phishing, UPI fraud, mobile safety and social media risks, while ETI Educom’s “Cyber Warriors Digital Suraksha Abhiyaan” says it has held more than 100 sessions reaching citizens and institutions. The Naksh Foundation’s Project CyberShield says it has taken similar workshops to districts across India, and Andhra Pradesh’s police recently unveiled short films on cyber and financial crimes to explain common fraud patterns in plain language.
Akkineni’s warning also carries added weight because he has already taken legal steps to protect his digital identity. In 2025, the Delhi High Court granted him protection over his personality and publicity rights, restricting the misuse of his name, image and likeness online. The order highlighted the growing risks posed by unauthorised merchandising, AI-generated content and other forms of digital impersonation, underscoring the same point the actor made in Hyderabad: users need to stay alert, verify before they trust and think twice before they click.
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