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Cyber criminals use Telangana DGP photo to scam people in Hyderabad

Cyber Criminals Scam

Hyderabad: Cyber criminals impersonating like cops and scamming the public is on the rise. In a recent incident, a cyber criminal impersonated none other than the Telangana Director General of police(DGP), Ravi Gupta and demanded a bribe from a businessman of Rs 50,000. Following a complaint from the victim, Telangana State Cyber Security Bureau (TSCSB) booked a case and started investigation.

According to the complaint, he received a WhatsApp Voice Call from a number started with +92 to his mobile number. Further the unknown caller informed them that his daughter was arrested by them in a narcotics drug case and threatened the complainant stating that they would book her. And the fraudster demanded an amount of 50,000 to be sent through mobile payment service to release her. The complaint stated that the unknown caller was using WhatsApp display picture (DP) of Ravi Gupta DGP, Telangana.

Realising something is fishy, the victim lodged a formal complaint with the police. The investigation officials stated that the WhatsApp call originated from a number with a +92 country code, which is associated with Pakistan’s.

Based on the complaint, TSCSB officials booked a case under section 385(Extortion), 419(Cheating by personation), 506(Criminal intimidation) of Indian penal code(IPC) and Sec 66(D) of IT Act and further investigation is underway

TG Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari photo was also used to scam people

Recently in another case of the same modus operandi cyber criminals targeted victims using the photo of Chief Secretary, Government of Telangana Santhi Kumari. The CS filed a police complaint after it came to her notice. According to the complaint from Santhi Kumari, “Some miscreants by using the DP of Santhi Kumari, IAS, Chief Secretary,Government of Telangana, making fake calls to various officers and demanding for the money”.

If any user gets such a call, allegedly from any of the top bureaucrats or any other police official and tries to extort money, beware as it is a fake call. Always remember, none of the higher officials would usually make calls from a random number and ask for money. If any of the readers wants to complain regarding such cases to the Telangana State Cyber Security Bureau, one can dial the toll free number 1930 to register their cyber complaint or login to cybercrime.gov.in to file a complaint.