Hoax Bomb Threats Target Ilaiyaraaja and Other VIP’s in Chennai

Music Maestro Ilaiyaraaja Receives Hoax Bomb Threat Email After Trisha and Vijay

Bomb threats have recently been sent to many celebrities and politicians in Tamil Nadu; musician and composer Ilaiyaraaja is the most recent target. The Director General of Police (DGP) also received the threat email, which mentioned that the explosive was planted at the music composer’s studio in T Nagar, Chennai.

Following the warning, the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) arrived and conducted extended search operations. The bomb threat raised serious safety and public concerns.

Music Composer Ilaiyaraaja Gets Bomb Threats

Police investigations revealed that the threat was a hoax. They further confirmed that the email sent from a Hotmail address was identical to those sent to other celebrities and VIPs in Chennai. However, the police are still investigating.

On 2 October, similar hoax emails were sent to DGP stating that the bombs were implanted in the offices and residences of actors Trisha and Shekhar. After receiving these emails, the police hurried to the location, but didn’t find any explosives.

In another incident, the police arrested a 37-year-old man, Shabik, for providing false information to the police about planting a bomb at Vijay’s Neelankarai residence, an actor and a Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) chief. After searching the politician's house for more than five hours, the police declared the call a hoax. 

What is a Hoax Email?

Unlike phishing emails that aim to steal personal data, hoax emails are fraudulent messages and notifications that spread false information, inciting fear in the recipient. 

Hoax emails generally use misleading warnings, virus alerts, and false threats to make people take specific actions. Hoax emails are becoming popular among attackers as they are capable of evading advanced security filters. Scammers rely heavily on human psychology to achieve their desired results.

To sum up, Ilaiyaraaja is the most recent victim of the hoax emails after Vijay Neelankarai and Trisha Krishnan. The police are investigating the matter thoroughly to identify the culprit. To avoid falling prey to these emails, people need to stay vigilant and identify red flags such as a mismatched sender's address, generic greetings, and a sense of urgency.