Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murty targeted by scammer impersonating Telecom Department official, demanding personal data under threat

Summary

On September 5, 2025, Rajya Sabha MP and philanthropist Sudha Murty received a phone call from a scammer posing as a Ministry of Telecommunications employee. The caller claimed her mobile number was not linked to her Aadhaar number and was being used to circulate obscene messages, threatening to block her number by noon unless she provided personal details. The caller's number displayed as 'Telecom Department' on Truecaller. Murty became suspicious and did not comply. She filed a complaint with Bengaluru Cyber Crime Police on September 20; an FIR was registered against an unknown person under Sections 66(C), 66(D), and 84(C) of the IT Act. The matter was also reported to the National Cyber Reporting Portal on September 5.