Actress Sonia Kashyap, who hails from a small district in Assam, and has worked in the show Kismat Connection which aired on Sahara One, recently shared her ordeal of getting scammed by a person who claimed to be Anupamaa producer Rajan Shahi. Sonia, who was in need of work, ended up losing more than Rs 50,000 to imposters.
Sonia, who resides in Goregaon, filed a complaint with the Mumbai Police stating that she was on the lookout for auditions and received a phone number and a Facebook link which led her to a post mentioning casting calls for serials like Anupamaa and Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, both produced by Rajan Shahi under the banner of Director's Kut Productions. After chatting with the fraudster, she was asked to pay to become a member of the Cine And TV Artistes' Association (CINTAA), or else she couldn’t bag the role. She was put in touch with two people, one impersonating Shahi and the other Anita Singh of CINTAA.
After transferring around Rs 53,000 for CINTAA membership, she was asked to pay another Rs 24,000. After communicating that she can't pay anymore, the imposter said her money will be returned, however, it didn't. This is when Sonia felt suspicious and made several calls but was blocked.
In her complaint to the Mumbai Police, she wrote, "I am a simple girl trying to make my living in this city by acting and selling ladies' bags to friends and their circle. I am in constant need of money and work to survive and hence was duped by these people. I humbly request you help me recover my hard-earned money and punish these people so they do not cheat other innocent persons."
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