17-year-old from Rajasthan detained for impersonating senior officers in Facebook fraud
HYDERABAD: In a joint operation, sleuths of the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) and Nizamabad III Town police detained a 17-year-old boy from Ramsin village in Rajasthan’s Jalore district for allegedly impersonating senior government officers on social media and defrauding people across the country.
The juvenile, identified as a resident of Kota Kurd in Alwar district and currently staying in Ramsin, was booked under Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in Crime No. 268/2025 of III Town Police Station, Nizamabad. He has been lodged in the Juvenile Home at Nizamabad.
Retired teacher cheated of ₹50,000
The case originated from a complaint filed on September 2, 2025, by a 62-year-old retired teacher from Kanteshwar, Nizamabad. The complainant told police that he had interacted on Facebook with an account named “Dr Sunil Kumar, DIG,” believing it to be genuine. Later, he was introduced to another person claiming to be “Santosh Kumar, CRPF,” who offered to sell furniture worth ₹1,20,000.
After transferring ₹50,000 through online payment, the complainant neither received the furniture nor got his money back. Following this, he reported the incident via the national cyber helpline number 1930, leading to the registration of a case at Nizamabad III Town police station.
Fake profiles of senior officers found
During investigation, TGCSB’s Data Analysis Team identified the accused as part of a wider cybercrime network operating from Rajasthan. The team, along with Nizamabad police, detained the suspect from Jalore district.
A mobile phone used in the offence was seized, and forensic analysis revealed over 200 fake profiles of senior IAS, IPS and IRS officers, as well as other prominent personalities. Police said six petitions were pending against the juvenile in Telangana, and about 100 complaints had been registered against him across India.
Cyber fraud inspired by peers
According to investigators, the boy, who dropped out of school and worked as a JCB operator, was drawn into cybercrime after observing others in his village making money through similar scams. He allegedly created fake Facebook accounts using names and photographs of real officers, copied their friends lists, and sent friend requests to unsuspecting contacts. Using Google Translate, he conversed fluently with victims across states.
TGCSB issues advisory to citizens
The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau has urged citizens to verify profiles of individuals claiming to be government officials before interacting or making financial transactions. It advised users to:
Keep social media accounts private and use strong passwords with two-factor authentication.
Avoid sharing personal details like Aadhaar, PAN, or bank information.
Refrain from responding to suspicious friend requests or UPI payment requests.
Purchase goods only after physical verification.
“Public are advised to remain vigilant and activate privacy settings on their social media accounts,” said the TGCSB Director in a statement.
