Imposters targeting top cops traced to Nigeria, Barabanki

Tribune News Service

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Ludhiana, September 19

After cyber criminals started targeting district police heads to extort money in their names from junior officials, a probe was initiated into the matter. During investigation, it was found that cyber criminals operated from Nigeria, Barabanki (Uttar Pradesh) and Maharashtra.

High-rank officials, politicians victims

• In September, imposters targeted city Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu. They reportedly sent messages to officials and asked for money and other favours.
• In May, cyber criminals created a fake Facebook account of Khanna AAP MLA Tarunpreet Singh Sondh and demanded money from a person.
• In April, the Division No. 5 police arrested an advocate for threatening revenue officials over phone while posing as an OSD to the Chief Minister.
• In May, an unidentified person impersonating as Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner Surabhi Malik allegedly tried to dupe two LIT staffers by sending them some links on their WhatsApp numbers.
• In December 2021, imposters created fake Facebook profile of the then Joint CP, Ludhiana, J Elanchezhian, and demanded money from police officials and FB friends.

Money trail from India to Nigeria was also found as miscreants after getting amount into their Indian accounts transferred it to Nigeria.

Recently, imposters created a fake WhatsApp profile of the Khanna SSP, Dayama Harish Kumar Om Parkash, and sent message to several junior police officials for soliciting money. Imposters also used the SSP’s profile photo and name. The SSP had also put an alert message on his own WhatsApp status.

“These imposters adopt a modus operandi through which they target heads of the police force whether of the district or of the city. They usually steal police head’s photo from the Police Department website and create a fake profile either on WhatsApp or Facebook. Imposters then steal the list of phone numbers from the department website and send messages. If anyone believes that the police head is sending message, imposters may get money,” the SSP Dayama told The Tribune.

The SSP said, “Nowadays not only police officials even the common man is aware that cyber criminals are resorting to such tactics. No one easily falls prey to them.”

The Khanna police had also traced the location of miscreants, who created his profile in Barabanki (Uttar Pradesh) and a team was already on the job to catch suspects, the SSP added.

In August this year, cyber criminals targeted Commissioner of Police (CP) Kaustubh Sharma by creating his fake WhatsApp account and uploaded his photo in uniform as display picture. His name was also written in the name section. They sent messages to a few officials of the Commissionerate, including the Joint CP, Headquarters, and demanded Rs 50,000 each from them.

The suspects demanded money in the form of Amazon gift card and through other payment apps.

The CP while taking to The Tribune on Friday said, “When my fake WhatsApp profile was created, our cyber cell traced the money trail to Nigeria.”

“Our team had also deposited money to check the end user and found that money reached some Nigerian bank account. Definitely some miscreants from India may be part of the gang. Our team is on the job to catch them,” the CP said.

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