Rakul Preet: Chatting using my name is not right, it’s a crime

JUst years after actors Shriya Saran and Aditi Rao Hydari called come out imposters pretending to be them, doer Rakul Preet Singh also shared a similar disturbing incident of personation she encountered online. This prompted her to in public warn others against falling prey to such fraudulent activity. “I got to know about it only when my manager sent me snapshots of certain conversations,” she shared, explaining how the incident unfolded. “This person had reached out to a photographer in Chennai I’ve worked with in the past. The photographer messaged my manager saying someone was talking to him like Rakul, but he didn’t think it was me and asked if that was my number.” She added that seeing those snapshots pushed her to act quickly.“I decided to put it up on social media so that people are aware. I don’t know what conversations are being had or how people are impersonating and pretending to be me, but this whole thing is worrisome,” she shares.“It’s the first time that I’ve gotten to know about it, the first time it’s come to my notice,” Rakul says. When asked about filing a cybercrime complaint, the 35-year-old confirms she is proceeding with the formal process. “I’m in the process of filing a cybercrime report. Action definitely needs to be taken against whoever is pretending to be me. While I understand fan love and people using our pictures as their DP, chatting with people or reaching out to them in my name is not right.”The incident has garnered massive support from her fans, with quite a few confirming that the imposter reached out to them as well. “I’ve received some messages on social media, on Instagram and on X, saying that this number contacted them too.”When asked if anyone suffered monetary loss due to the impersonation, Rakul responds, “I don’t think the conversations were about getting monetary benefits. At least from what I read, it was just very weird. I don’t think people faced monetary loss.”Rakul asserts that while being a public figure comes with its pros and cons, the misuse of personal information and AI-generated images has deeply bothered her, as she has seen false pictures and videos of herself. “It is very disturbing. I think this is the most dangerous side of AI, and it’s really unsettling how people don’t think about the fact that we have families. Whoever is making these videos or pictures — I fail to understand how they can be so insensitive.”She adds, “Impersonating someone and trying to have conversations as if you are that person — even if it’s not a celebrity, it could be anyone — is a crime in itself. That’s something cybercrime should definitely look into. My bigger question is: where are the ethics? Why would you do such a thing?”