Harrdy Sandhu warns fans after scammers use fake Telegram account to demand money: "Fans were promised personal meetings with me"

The singer recently found out that some has been impersonating not only him but his manager Pouja Gandhi online.

Singer-actor Harrdy Sandhu has recently found himself at the centre of an alarming case of cyber fraud, becoming the latest celebrity to fall victim to online impersonation.

The well-known artist was horrified to learn that con artists had been impersonating him and his team on websites like Telegram and others, taking advantage of his name and notoriety to trick gullible fans.

Speaking to Hindustan Times about the disturbing experience, Sandhu opened up about the depth of the issue. He revealed that in order to manipulate the trust and admiration that fans have for him, he disclosed that the scammers even went so far as to offer fictitious promises of in-person meetings with him in exchange for money. “They were promised personal meetings with me in exchange for money,” he said, clearly worried by the manipulation of his followers for illicit gain.

The singer recently found out that some has been impersonating not only him but his manager Pouja Gandhi online.

He further shared, “It began when someone message my manager on Instagram about a fake account claiming to be from my team and inviting fans to a Telegram group for personal access to me."

A flood of direct messages from fans who claimed to have been contacted by impersonators—some of whom even demanded payment for backstage passes—followed. The singer said that his first reaction was one of shock and extreme worry, pointing out how concerning it was that the fake accounts seemed convincing enough to fool real fans.

The 38-year-old singer also said, “It’s disturbing. This isn’t just impersonation, it’s fraud. People are misusing our identity to manipulate others. It damages the trust we’ve built with our audience.”

Harrdy Sandhu claimed that despite informing Instagram and Telegram about the problem and submitting a cyber complaint with strong supporting documentation, not much had been done to resolve it. He noted that while phoney Instagram profiles kept appearing, the phoney Telegram account was still active and even verified. The system's reaction had been excruciatingly slow, he said.

Harrdy Sandhu issued an apology to his fans and urged them to stay vigilant against such fraudsters, emphasizing the importance of being cautious in the face of online scams. “We can’t leave room for doubt anymore. We tell fans: Don’t trust a blue tick blindly. Always check my official Instagram for any updates. I’m truly sorry if anyone felt misled. I’ve made it clear that my only official manager is Pouja Gandhi, and we’ve posted that online to avoid confusion," the singer added.