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Man loses Rs 2 lakh to cyber fraudsters posing as film director
Published : Tuesday, 3 November, 2026 at 11:14 AM
Observer Online Report
Collected Photo
A young man was defrauded of nearly Rs 2 lakh by a cybercrime syndicate that used artificial intelligence technology to clone the voice of prominent filmmaker Raj Chakraborty, offering false promises of a leading role in a movie.
The victim filed a complaint with the Bansdroni Police Station in South Kolkata after discovering he had fallen prey to an online casting scam operating through a fraudulent Facebook page created in the name of a reputed production house.
According to police sources, the aspiring actor encountered the fake social media page while searching for acting opportunities, which advertised casting calls for a historical drama film and provided a contact number for the director.
Upon calling the number, an individual impersonating Chakraborty instructed the victim to transfer an initial registration fee of Rs 30,000 to a bank account under the name of Sumit Kumar.
To enhance the deception, the fraudsters subsequently issued fabricated contract documents and official-looking credentials from the production house via WhatsApp, demanding further payments of Rs 92,000 and Rs 85,000 for profile photoshoots under bank accounts held by Subhajit and Ajita.
The victim realized he was being scammed after the perpetrators demanded additional funds for a second phase of shooting, prompting him to consult acquaintances who confirmed the director's voice had been artificially replicated.
Police have registered a case against unidentified individuals and initiated a probe tracking bank transactions and mobile phone records to identify members of the fraud network.
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, 01550707296
E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]. [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], Online-email: [email protected]
