Aligarh: Indian cricketer Rinku Singh has fallen victim to a cyber breach after his official Facebook account was hacked, prompting police in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh district to initiate a formal investigation into the incident. Authorities said efforts are underway to identify how the account was compromised and determine whether the intrusion resulted in any financial loss or misuse of the cricketer’s online identity.
According to police officials, the matter came to light earlier this week when the cricketer flagged suspicious activity on his social media account, including loss of access and potential unauthorised control. A preliminary complaint was subsequently recorded, following which cyber specialists were roped in to examine the breach.
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Investigators said the immediate focus is on establishing the method used by the hackers — whether through phishing links, compromised credentials, malicious third-party apps or unauthorised login attempts from unfamiliar locations. Technical teams are analysing login histories, IP addresses, device access logs and account recovery attempts to trace the origin of the intrusion.
“At this stage, it is not clear whether the hacked account was used for any financial fraud or to deceive followers,” police said, adding that no formal complaint of monetary loss has yet been received. However, officials cautioned that the misuse of a verified or high-profile social media account can have wider implications, including impersonation scams, fake investment pitches or circulation of misleading information.
Rinku Singh, who rose from modest beginnings in Aligarh to become a prominent name in Indian cricket, commands a large following on social media. Investigators noted that such accounts are often targeted by cybercriminals due to their reach and credibility, making them attractive tools for scams or promotional fraud.
Police sources said the probe will also examine whether any posts, messages or links were shared from the compromised account during the period it remained under unauthorised control. If such activity is detected, officials plan to alert affected users and coordinate with the social media platform to remove harmful content.
Cybercrime experts assisting the investigation said social media takeovers are increasingly being linked to data leaks and credential-stuffing attacks, where passwords exposed in earlier breaches are reused across platforms. Weak passwords, lack of two-factor authentication and delayed response to security alerts often make even high-profile users vulnerable.
Authorities confirmed that a request has been sent to Facebook for technical assistance, including account access logs and details of recent changes made to the profile. The platform’s cooperation is considered crucial in establishing the timeline of the breach and identifying the digital fingerprints left behind by the attackers.
The incident has once again highlighted the growing cyber risks faced by public figures in India, particularly sportspersons, actors and influencers, whose social media presence carries both reputational and financial value. Over the past year, several verified accounts belonging to celebrities and business personalities have been targeted, often used to promote fake cryptocurrency schemes or fraudulent giveaways before being recovered.
Police said no arrests have been made so far, and the investigation remains at an early stage. Depending on the findings, appropriate sections of the Information Technology Act and relevant provisions of criminal law will be invoked.
Meanwhile, officials have advised users to treat any recent messages or posts from the compromised account with caution until full access is restored and the security of the profile is confirmed. Followers have also been urged not to click on suspicious links or respond to unsolicited messages claiming to be from the cricketer.
Rinku Singh’s representatives are understood to be coordinating with the platform to regain control of the account and strengthen its security settings, including enabling additional verification measures.
As cybercrime continues to evolve in scale and sophistication, police said the case serves as a reminder that even high-profile individuals are not immune to digital threats. The outcome of the probe is expected to shed light on the tactics used by hackers and help authorities refine their response to similar incidents in the future.
