In January 2026, the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Police launched a high-impact cyber awareness campaign titled “Scam Files,” featuring veteran actor Nana Patekar to combat the rising threat of “digital arrest” scams.
Ad Plot
The Scammer Gets Scammed
The 5.27-minute short film is inspired by a real-life incident in Kanpur where a vigilant citizen outsmarted a fraudster.
- A fraudster posing as a “cyber inspector” (played by Kishore Soni) contacts Nana Patekar’s character via a video call, claiming he is under “digital arrest” for illegal activities.
- Instead of panicking, Patekar’s character remains calm and uses his presence of mind to turn the tables. He manipulates the scammer into believing he is ready to pay, but instead of losing money, he tricks the scammer into transferring money to him first as part of a “testing” process—effectively scamming the scammer.
- The film concludes with the arrival of a genuine police officer (Adil Irani), and Patekar explains how he identified the fraud.
Reception & Recall
The campaign emphasizes that there is no legal concept of “digital arrest” in India.
- Real government agencies never use WhatsApp or video calls to issue warrants or demand money.
- The public is urged to report such calls immediately to the national cybercrime helpline 1930 or via the official Cybercrime Reporting Portal.
Nana Patekar’s Quote
On the campaign’s launch, Patekar stated:
“Today, the first line of defence isn’t a lock on the door, it’s clarity in the mind. I sincerely appreciate the efforts of Uttar Pradesh Police for taking cyber awareness to the masses through both conventional outreach and creative storytelling”
Credits
- Director: Raaj Shaandilyaa
- Script: Written by Rahul Srivastava, the PRO and social media in-charge for the UP Police.
- Cast: Stars Nana Patekar as the alert citizen, Leena Sharma as his wife, Kishore Soni as the fake inspector, and Adil Irani as the real officer.
