Shantanu Maheshwari lost Rs 5 lakh due to internet fraud. ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ actor said that he was unaware that a card had been created under his name.

Shantanu Maheshwari, known for his roles in films like Gangubai Kathiawadi and Tooth Pari, was hit by bank fraud recently. The actor cautioned his fans on social media by sharing disturbing information. The 32-year-old star disclosed that scammers had attacked his Axis bank account in an Instagram post. Shantanu disclosed that there had been an effort to gain access to his bank account. The actor told his followers that a card that showed up on his account had been made without any kind of validation. The text on his post read, “Unbelievable! My Axis bank account was hit by fraud – a card generated without my knowledge, no OTP received, and my registered email and phone no. changed without any verification! Would really appreciate taking swift action to restore security and resolve this unsettling situation (sic).”

Speaking to Zoom TV, Maheshwari said, “It was around Rs 5 lakh transaction that the fraudster did from my credit card. The whole process was very tiring and exhausting. Whenever such fraud happens, you don’t know what to do. I kept calling customer service but they put me on hold always. In cyber cell also, the process is long, you have to give a lot of info. They wanted my transaction ID which I didn’t have obviously. So I kept trying the customer care people but they hung up on me twice. Sometimes it takes 45 minutes.”

He continued, “My address and phone number were removed from my card. On top of that, another card was generated on my bank account without my knowledge. I didn’t receive any intimation when the new card was made or even when the transactions were happening or when my phone number was changed.”

On the work front, Shantanu has been in a number of TV series before making his Bollywood debut in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiwadi in 2022, opposite Alia Bhatt. He competed in dance reality series like Boogie Woogie, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 9, and Nach Baliye 9, and he won the stunt-based reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi 8.

Talking about his upcoming projects, Shantanu’s next project is Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha. The film, which stars Tabu and Ajay Devgn in the key parts, is scheduled to open in theatres on April 26. Neeraj Pandey returns to directing motion pictures with this film, following a six-year hiatus since his 2018 film Aiyaary. He has already directed A Wednesday, MS Dhoni: The Untold, Baby, and Special 26.