Actor Kirti Kulhari says she is feeling “good and surely better” after navigating through a harrowing experience involving an online credit card scam and a subsequent health scare.
Reflecting on, Kulhari shares, “It was one thing after another. It started with the credit card scam, followed by the whole process of filing a complaint and visiting the police station. That eventually took a toll on my health, leading to gastritis and hyper-acidity, which landed me in the hospital after two days of failed medication at home. I think skipping meals for four or five hours at a stretch while dealing with the fallout of the fraud could be the cause, but such is life.” .”
Recounting the moment the fraud unfolded, she adds, “”I was at a movie screening, and later in the evening, during the interval, I checked my phone and saw a notification that a sum in USD had been charged to my credit card. It was for 2.42 lakh, and I was like, ‘Yeh kya hai? Is it some kind of mistake?’ I thought about waiting, assuming it would be reversed. Just like before, when I was in Kerala, a similar transaction for a smaller amount of 35 USD occurred and was immediately reversed. I remember temporarily blocking my card, but everything was fine then.”
“I came back, and raised a dispute with the bank. Next day I connected to the cyber helpline and then completed the process of filing an FIR and bank visits for the next two days. All our lives today are on our mobile and in today’s time it’s difficult to spot frauds that easily, no one is ever careful, you can’t be too careful, kabhi kisi din ho jata hain,” shares Kulhari.
{{/usCountry}}“I came back, and raised a dispute with the bank. Next day I connected to the cyber helpline and then completed the process of filing an FIR and bank visits for the next two days. All our lives today are on our mobile and in today’s time it’s difficult to spot frauds that easily, no one is ever careful, you can’t be too careful, kabhi kisi din ho jata hain,” shares Kulhari.
{{/usCountry}}Regarding the ongoing investigation, Kulhari remains hopeful. “It usually takes a 30 to 45 days period. The investigation is conducted at various levels. Banks will work at their end and so will the cyber cell and Police department to find out what actually happened. At my end I am hoping that the amount has not gone as its credit card and I did block it immediately. So I believe I should be able to hold the amount back and it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Finding a silver lining, she adds, “Today I know that acidity is a big issue and I need to be eating on time, so everything in life happens for a purpose. It happens multiple times in our lives when things are not going in our favour and a person gets caught into a whirlwind of affairs. So it’s just a matter of time, it can be at your side or against you and I feel we as humans can only surrender as everything passes.”
Despite the stress, the actor maintains her professional momentum. “Kaam toh rukta nahin hain,” she notes, as she prepares to head to the Melbourne Film Festival for her film, Full Plate, which has been doing the festival rounds for several months. Additionally, Kulhari has wrapped up her latest film, Kinaare, which is currently in post-production.