Singers in custody for ‘red number’ hoax

KATHMADNU:  Police have arrested two Nepali singers for terrorising people with a ‘red number’ call hoax on social media, on Wednesday.

A team deployed from the Crime Investigation Bureau (CIB) nabbed Prashna Pandey and Deepak Baraili for spreading rumours on Facebook and Twitter that people could receive calls from certain red numbers and that would leave adverse effects on the receivers’ health.

Singer Pandey, on her Facebook account, had posted that she got a call from the ‘red number’. Many online portals had published reports on the basis of her post.

But, when police interrogated her, she denied getting a call from the number. Similarly, the police investigation found that Baraili had downloaded an app which would automatically convert the default number into red while getting a call. Meanwhile, organising a press conference, the CIB Chief and DIG Nawa Raj Silwal requested the commoners not to believe the rumours regarding the ‘red number’ and its effect on health.

Singer duo also confessed that they had committed the mistake without any knowledge and were ready to face the action. The CIB meanwhile released them this evening.

Ncell released a note about the Red Number hoax

"Our attention has been drawn by concerns expressed by our customers over recent rumour that claims call received from short number of Ncell and so called ‘red numbers’ of any network can impact health and advises people not to receive calls from those numbers. We would like to inform all our valued customers that there is nothing as such called ‘red number’ and claims made in rumours are mere hoax. We request all our customers not to believe in rumours, and also request concerned not to disseminate such false information to the people."

The Himalayan Times

Tagged: red number hoax 1, ncell 8