Hyderabad, 21st May 2024 : In Hyderabad, two separate cyber fraud incidents have recently come to light, highlighting the sophisticated tactics used by scammers to exploit the identities of officials and deceive individuals into transferring large sums of money under false pretenses.
In one notable case, a fraudster impersonated the Director General of Police (DGP) of Telangana, Ravi Gupta, to extort money from a businessman. The scammer used DGP Ravi Gupta’s photograph as their WhatsApp profile picture to lend authenticity to their demands. The scammer threatened the businessman, claiming there was an ongoing case against him and demanding Rs. 50,000 to dismiss the alleged charges. Additionally, the scammer menaced the businessman’s daughter by falsely implicating her in a drug-related case.
The businessman, sensing something amiss, filed a complaint with the local police. Subsequent investigations revealed that the WhatsApp call had originated from a number with a +92 country code, indicating a connection to Pakistan’s cyber police, as confirmed by cybercrime officials. This incident underscores the growing threat of cybercrime and the need for vigilance and prompt reporting of such fraudulent activities to the authorities.
