No, this ain’t an eulogy or a criticism of Dish TV. This is just a word of caution to connoisseurs of 18+ entertainment on television.

Last week, a news item was circulated in various

forums that Dish TV has started beaming Playboy TV and two other such titillating channels to its viewers in India on a 24 X 7 basis. Many people received emails having similar content. The news item / emails claimed that Dish TV has started a so called ‘Dish Adult Cine Package’ with the promise of providing the ‘thoroughly bewildered by now’ viewer with ‘groundbreaking and jaw dropping original series created and produced by the great minds of Playboy’ in lieu of a one time yearly credit card payment of Rs. 2475 payable via www.paypal.com to activations@dishtvindia.esselgroup.com.

As the news broke, there was abundant rejoicing and much hat flinging among 18+ entertainment aficionados across the length & breadth of the nation. Delhi sweated, Mumbai wetted, Kolkata coiled and Bengalooru boiled at this unbelievable eye popping news. After all this was the moment of truth, the long awaited ’twist’ with destiny, the ultimate dream-come-true! So in went the hands within the pants and out came the…..credit cards, WHAT ELSE!

Now the truth. The whole thing is a hoax. Activations@dishtvindia.esselgroup.com is a name to which payments are to be made and is not a link. Why only Paypal? Because anybody can create any account on Paypal. Dish TV has meanwhile denied sending e-mails on launch of adult channels. ASC Enterprises Limited has described as ’’fictitious and fraudulent’’ these e-mail messages purportedly sent from an e-mail ID of a senior company executive and another one from the activation department of the company that it was going to carry certain adult channels from its Dish TV DTH platform.

ASC has already lodged a formal police complaint with the Economic Offence Wing, Crime Branch, New Delhi on December 21, providing them all the available information and requesting them to investigate and take necessary action by arresting the culprits. The company has said it would request all concerned not to get misled by these fake, fictitious and fraudulent communications and also not to make any payment as sought to be induced by these fraudulent communications.

So guys…hard luck! Put your credit cards back into your pockets. Assuming the perpetrators of this elaborate hoax have managed to con, say, 1000 ‘early crows’ by now, they have made a cool Rs. 24,75000/-.

Thanks as always for reading my stuff.

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