City crime branch’s BKC cyber police station recently arrested a 25-year-old bachelor of computer applications (BCA) for spoofing the landline number of Dharma Productions and calling up aspiring actors to work for upcoming projects. The accused, posing as an executive of the production house, got candidates to pay registration fees, casting charges and audition fees.

DCP Dr Rashmi Karandikar, who heads the cyber police station, said, “An office-bearer of filmmaker Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions had approached police along with a victim who lost Rs. 24,000. An FIR has been filed. Our team found that Harshad Sakpal had spoofed the landline number to make calls to aspirants to work in films. Sakpal was arrested. Investigations are on.”

Sakpal, originally from Nashik, is facing more than half a dozen criminal cases. During interrogation, he told police he had spoofed the landline number of the production house to give an impression to aspirants that he was calling from their office.

A team led by ACP Nitin Jadhav and PSI Ganesh Kokate is investigating the case.

Following interrogation, Sakpal told police he had purchased contact numbers of over a lakh people. He sent text messages through a bulk data message service. He told cops that he had bought the numbers of people who were interested in watching movies and aspired to work in movies. In the messages, posing as a casting director/executive, he wrote that the production house was looking for actors, dancers, junior artistes and fighters for an upcoming project. “He had done detailed research about movies, upcoming projects of the production house, the cast, their plans. He also has casting knowledge,” said an officer. The accused told police he does not remember how many people he conned.

Sakpal spoofed the landline number of the production house. When he called up any victim, the Truecaller ID on the victim’s phone would show as a call from Dharma Productions. Further, in his messages, he gave a link and his mobile number. Police said Sakpal is technically very sound and had done spoofing.

Sakpal told investigators he had visited Russia in 2019-20 for three to four months, when he met several hackers. Police suspect he learned hacking techniques there.

The accused called up more than 500 people and asked if they were willing to work on new projects. He initially asked candidates, keen to work in films to pay registration fees of Rs. 2,500 and later, for other charges, the amount would go up to Rs. 25,000. He told them to pay through a payment wallet and later transferred it to his bank accounts. “We are studying details of a bank account and trying to get more information about other accounts and about the financial transactions,” said an officer. He would splurge money on a lavish lifestyle.

Harshad Sakpal was arrested by Gamdevi police in November last year for posing as a National Investigation Agency officer while chatting with a 21-year-old woman whom he met on a matrimonial website. He had sent his photo, NIA I-card and photo in NIA uniform to the woman. When the woman sent it to NIA for verification, the agency said there was no such officer. A case of cheating and impersonation was filed against him. Fake I-card and rubber stamps of government offices were recovered from his residence.

In March, a case was registered against him with Amboli police for allegedly posing as a casting director of a music company and cheating seven people. In July last year, a case was registered in Pune against him for extorting money from people. Three cases of cheating were registered against him with Nashik police. In May 2018, a case was registered against Sakpal and his associate for cheating a 20-year-old woman, promising her a role in a film.