Chennai: Malayalam and Tamil cinema actor Unni Mukundan announced on Tuesday that his official Instagram account, @iamunnimukundan, has been hacked, making him the latest celebrity to fall victim to cyberattacks consistently targeting public figures this year.

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Taking to his verified Facebook page, Unni Mukundan alerted his followers to the breach. "My official Instagram account @iamunnimukundan has been hacked", he wrote. "Any updates, DMs, stories, or content going out from that account are not from me — they are being posted by the hackers. Please do NOT engage, click on any suspicious links, or share personal information in response to anything from that account at this time." The actor, known for his roles in films like "Meppadiyan," "Malikappuram," and "Garudan," assured fans that efforts are underway to resolve the issue. "We’re working with the relevant teams to resolve the issue. I’ll keep you all posted through verified channels. Thanks for your support and caution. #StaySafe #InstagramHack #ImportantUpdate," he added.

Mukundan's incident follows a series of high-profile social media account hacks targeting Indian celebrities since the beginning of the year. Just days prior, actress Shruti Haasan's X (formerly Twitter) account was compromised. She similarly used Instagram stories to issue a warning: "Hi Lovelies, Just want to let you know my Twitter account has been hacked. That's not me posting. So, don't interact with that page till I'm back, please."

Shruti Haasan's account breach came barely a week after National award-winning music director D. Imman successfully retrieved his X account, which had been hacked earlier in March this year. Prior to Imman's experience, actress and producer Khushbu Sundar also had her account hacked before eventually regaining access.

D. Imman, whose X account was hacked on March 7, had celebrated his successful retrieval on June 18. He shared, "Happy to inform you all that I am back on X (Twitter) and my account has been successfully retrieved! Thank you for your patience and love." He had also put out a poster detailing his recovery and urging followers to ignore any unusual posts from his account during the period it was compromised. During the March incident, Imman had used Instagram to alert the public, stating, “Hello everyone, I want to inform you that my official X (Twitter) account (@immancomposer) has been hacked. The hacker has changed the email and password associated with my account and has even posted content within the last 24 hours." He had emphasised the importance of his credibility and connection with followers built over 20 years in the music industry, urging caution against suspicious content and requesting X's immediate action.

These recurring incidents highlight an increasing trend of cyberattacks targeting prominent personalities' social media profiles, underscoring the need for enhanced digital security measures for public figures and their followers alike.

With inputs from IANS