Bhubaneswar: Giving a challenge to the Odisha police, a cyber-fraudster created a fake WhatsApp account in the name of Directorate General (DGP) Fire Services Santosh Kumar Upadhyay and asked for money from some officials.
According to a screenshot of a WhatsApp chat that has surfaced, the cybercriminal used the phone number +91 89056 43928 and texted Balasore district Collector Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde by impersonating himself as DGP Fire Services. In course of their chatting, he sought money from the collector.
“Hello, how are you? Are you there? It’s me Santosh Kumar Upadhyay, IPS DGP FS, HGs & CD,” the cyber fraudster wrote to Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde.
In his reply, the district collector wrote, “Good evening sir. This is Datta collector Balasore.”
Then the cyber fraudster said to him, “Where are you at the moment. I need you to do something for me very urgent.” To which the Collector replied again, “Pls tell sir.”
“There is something I need you to please do for me urgently as I am attending to a very crucial meeting with limited phone calls,” the cyber criminal further wrote.
“And you need money I guess?” the Balasore Collector further said.
“Yes. Are you by any chance familiar with the Amazon pay gift card?” the fraudster asked.
While informing about the incident, the DGP Fire Services said that he has already alerted the cyber Police Station about it and requested not to entertain such fake caller who is a cyber-criminal.
Earlier on July 21 this year too, another miscreant had created one such fake WhatsApp ID of Santosh Kumar Upadhyay.
Ms Kalinga