Hyderabad: Cybercrime officers recently took down what is considered India’s biggest movie piracy network, arresting five main individuals in different states. On September 29, former Hyderabad Police Commissioner C.V. Anand shared that this group leaked hundreds of movies online. The Telugu Film Industry (TFI) lost about Rs 3,700 crore to piracy in 2024, while the entire Indian film industry faced losses nearing Rs 22,400 crore in 2023 due to pirated content in theaters and OTT platforms.
During the operation, a screenshot circulated on social media, suggesting that the well-known piracy site iBomma had warned the Telangana Police. The image contained a lengthy message criticizing film producers for high actor fees, international shoots, large budgets, and ticket prices. It ended with a threat: “Stop focusing on our website or I’ll have to focus on you.”
An X user posted the screenshot titled, “iBomma warns police. If the website is blocked, your phone numbers will be revealed says notice.” However, this claim is false. Investigations show the screenshot is old, from 2023, and was not aimed at the Telangana Police but the Telugu Film Industry. A reverse image search linked the screenshot to a past report, where iBomma warned film producers in September 2023, stating “it will not be normal if they work against us.” This warning sparked much discussion at the time, as it was unusual for a piracy site to openly challenge the industry.
Currently, the iBomma website is not functioning, and no new warnings to Telangana Police have been found. In conclusion, the viral claims that iBomma threatened Telangana Police are untrue.
The screenshot shared online is from 2023 and targeted the Telugu film community, not the police. Authorities and social media users should verify information before sharing content related to ongoing cybercrime cases.
