Pratik Sehajpal on Playing a Scammer in Scam 2024 – The Digital Arrest Story: As Artists, We Should Know How to Portray All Kinds of Characters

Actor Pratik Sehajpal, who plays Vicky Mandal, the mastermind behind the scam network in Story TV’s Scam 2024 – The Digital Arrest Story, opens up about stepping into the shoes of a scammer and the experience of portraying a character with negative shades. While the series explores the devastating impact of digital arrest scams on innocent victims, Pratik believes that an actor’s job is to portray every kind of character with honesty and conviction. He also highlights the importance of spreading awareness about cybercrime and protecting people from falling prey to online fraud.

For Pratik, playing a scammer is a part of an actor’s journey, where the focus lies on portraying a character with honesty rather than drawing parallels with one’s real-life personality. Sharing his experience of playing Vicky, Pratik said, “We are artists. It is not necessary for me to be a scammer in real life to play one on screen. I think, as artists, we should know how to portray all kinds of characters. If you watch my show and think, ‘What kind of person is this? What a terrible human being,’ that means I have done a good job. So, that is important.”

Beyond the character, the story also brings attention to the devastating financial and emotional consequences of digital arrest scams. Pratik highlights how people spend years earning and saving money for themselves and their families, only to lose it within seconds after clicking on a fraudulent link.

Reflecting on the impact of these scams, he added, “Some people spend their entire lives saving money, and it is all gone in the blink of an eye. Imagine what they must go through. They spend their whole lives earning and saving money for their children and their families, and then, in an instant, they receive a link, and it is all over. Their money is gone.”

Pratik also points out that scammers often operate from other countries, using fake IP addresses and VPNs to conceal their identities, making it difficult for authorities to track them down. However, he believes that growing awareness can help prevent people from falling prey to such fraud.

Expressing his happiness at being part of the initiative, he said, “I am glad that awareness about these scams is spreading so widely now. Prevention is better than cure, and people are being stopped from falling victim to these scams in the first place. I am glad to be a part of this awareness initiative by Story TV that we are undertaking.”