Real-Life Digital Frauds to Reel-Life Thrillers: 5 Indian Titles That Expose the Dark Side of Technology
From digital-arrest scams to AI-generated deepfakes, technology is increasingly being misused to deceive people, steal money and invade personal privacy. Recent incidents, including influencer Ankush Bahuguna’s reported 40-hour digital-arrest ordeal and an AI-generated deepfake video featuring Janhvi Kapoor, have brought these concerns into sharper focus.
While digital tools have made everyday life easier, they have also created new opportunities for fraudsters to exploit people’s trust. Fake calls, phishing links, financial scams and manipulated images show how easily technology can be turned against its users.
Indian entertainment has explored several aspects of fraud and deception through crime dramas, financial thrillers and documentaries. Some focus on real financial scandals, while others examine online manipulation, data privacy and the methods criminals use to target unsuspecting people.
Here are five Indian shows and films that explore different sides of fraud, financial misconduct and the misuse of technology.
1. Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story
Where to Watch: Sony LIV
Based on one of India’s most notorious financial scandals, Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story follows stockbroker Harshad Mehta’s rise in Mumbai’s stock market and the events that led to his downfall.
Starring Pratik Gandhi and directed by Hansal Mehta, the series examines the financial transactions, banking loopholes and institutional failures that played a role in the securities scam. It also highlights how investigative journalism helped bring the scandal into the public eye.
The series is adapted from The Scam: Who Won, Who Lost, Who Got Away, written by journalists Sucheta Dalal and Debashis Basu.
Although the story predates modern digital fraud, its central themes remain relevant. It shows how financial systems can be exploited when oversight fails and people place too much trust in individuals or institutions without questioning suspicious activity.
2. CTRL
Where to Watch: Netflix
Starring Ananya Panday and Vihaan Samat, CTRL explores the risks of handing over personal information and digital control to artificial intelligence.
Directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, the thriller follows Nella, an influencer who uses an AI application to remove her ex-boyfriend from her digital life. What begins as an attempt to move on gradually turns into a disturbing experience as the technology starts influencing events in unexpected ways.
The film examines online surveillance, data privacy and the growing dependence on AI-powered applications. It also raises questions about how personal information can be collected, analysed and potentially misused.
While CTRL is a fictional story rather than an account of a specific real-life scam, its themes connect with wider concerns about deepfakes, digital manipulation and the misuse of personal data.
3. Scam 2003: The Telgi Story
Where to Watch: Sony LIV
Moving away from the stock market, Scam 2003: The Telgi Story examines the counterfeit stamp paper racket operated by Abdul Karim Telgi.
Starring Gagan Dev Riar, the series traces how the operation expanded into a large-scale criminal network by exploiting weaknesses in India’s stamp paper system. The story highlights the organisation behind the racket and the institutional gaps that allowed it to grow.
Based on journalist Sanjay Singh’s book Telgi Scam: Reporter’s Diary, the series offers a closer look at the people, processes and vulnerabilities involved in one of India’s major financial scandals.
Although the scam was not driven by digital technology, it shares an important connection with modern cybercrime. Both demonstrate how organised fraud can spread when criminals identify weaknesses in established systems and find ways to exploit them.
4. Jamtara: Sabka Number Ayega
Where to Watch: Netflix
Jamtara: Sabka Number Ayega brings the focus closer to the kind of fraud that ordinary people encounter through their phones.
Set in Jharkhand, the crime drama follows young men involved in phishing operations, using phone calls to trick unsuspecting victims into sharing sensitive banking information. The series explores impersonation, social engineering and the ways criminals manipulate people’s trust for financial gain.
Rather than relying on sophisticated hacking techniques, the fraudsters often use convincing conversations and carefully chosen words to persuade their targets to reveal confidential details.
This approach makes Jamtara particularly relevant in the context of fraudulent calls, fake customer-care numbers, phishing attempts and digital-arrest scams. The series highlights an important lesson: a convincing caller is not necessarily a trustworthy one.
5. Bad Boy Billionaires: India
Where to Watch: Netflix
Bad Boy Billionaires: India examines the rise and controversies surrounding prominent Indian business figures, including Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Subrata Roy.
Through archival material, interviews and investigative storytelling, the documentary series explores their business empires, public image and the legal and financial controversies associated with their careers.
Unlike a conventional cybercrime thriller, the series focuses on corporate power, financial misconduct allegations and questions of accountability. It offers a broader look at how large financial controversies can affect investors, institutions and public confidence.
The series also highlights the importance of scrutiny and accountability when dealing with influential individuals and complex business networks.
Why These Stories Matter in the Age of Digital Fraud
Digital scams are not limited to hacking or stolen passwords. Many depend on psychological manipulation, impersonation and the ability to make victims believe they are dealing with a legitimate person or organisation.
These five titles approach deception from different angles. Scam 1992 and Scam 2003 explore financial scandals and systemic vulnerabilities, while Jamtara focuses on phishing and social engineering. CTRL raises questions about AI, privacy and digital manipulation, and Bad Boy Billionaires: India examines corporate controversies and accountability.
Together, they show how fraud can take many forms, from financial transactions and counterfeit documents to fake phone calls and manipulated digital content.
As technology continues to evolve, understanding these methods is becoming increasingly important. These shows and films offer viewers a way to explore the human behaviour behind deception and the consequences that follow when trust is exploited.
