Marathi actor Jaywant Wadkar has filed a police complaint after his Instagram account was allegedly hacked and used to promote a fraudulent Bitcoin investment scheme, with the unauthorised post reaching thousands of his followers and raising concerns about misuse of his public profile.
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Account Used to Push Crypto Investment Claim
According to the complaint, Wadkar’s Instagram account was allegedly used to promote a cryptocurrency trading service after hackers gained unauthorised access. The post asked users to contact a person identified as “Kimberly Murillo” and included a Facebook link connected to the alleged trading service.
The actor told police that the post was shared with his 60,000 followers, creating confusion and potentially misleading them into investing in a fraudulent scheme. The Nodal Cyber has registered an offence against unknown hackers and is digitally tracing the accused.
Actor Lost Access to Profile
As per the FIR, Wadkar has been professionally engaged in acting for 23 years and has operated the Instagram account under the username “jaywantwadkar” since 2014. The account is primarily used to connect with fans and promote his films, plays and professional work.
He told police that the hacking incident came to light on April 15, when he was travelling and received calls from friends and colleagues asking him to check his Instagram account. On accessing it, he found an unauthorised post featuring a photograph of himself and his wife.
Images Allegedly Misused to Lend Credibility
The post falsely endorsed a trading platform and claimed that an investment of Rs. 50,000 had generated a profit of more than Rs. 5.5 crore within three hours. Wadkar further reported that he had lost access to his Instagram account, indicating that an unknown person had gained control of it.
The actor alleged that his and his wife’s images were misused to lend credibility to the scam, with the intention of cheating and deceiving the public. He also stated that the incident had adversely affected his professional reputation and business, and sought legal action against the unidentified persons.
