Impersonation scam through WhatsApp- DGP Harmeet Singh's photo and identity used by a scamster
New Delhi, August 27
The impersonation fraud has been affecting many government functionaries across the country especially senior rank police officers whose profile photos are being used to send messages to their colleagues and subordinates.
The scam was recently witnessed by Special DGP Assam and CP Guwahati Harmeet Singh.
Harmeet Singh's profile photo was used by an unknown number that sent messages to his staff asking them, "How are you" and "Where are you at the moment?".
The screenshots of the same shows the number as 9068617482 and Harmeet Singh, IPS written below the number.
Speaking about the scam, DGP Harmeet Singh, "This is a serious scam that is rampant across the country and a number of senior people from Government, the Judiciary and Administration have been impersonated. The scamsters create a fake WhatsApp profile using a publicly available photograph of the person and send messages to their colleagues, first asking how and where they are and then ask for money transfers. Some times the officials think it is their bosses checking on them and reply. However, now with awareness and alertness the responses are different. As in yesterday’s case the scammers got a good dose in reply and within a couple of hours the number was banned".
He added, "While tracing the scammers, we found many operating from a Nigerian IP address, which may even be a VPN. We’ve requested WhatsApp for IMEIs of the devices used".
The same scam has been witnessed with the impersonation of even the Hon’ble Speaker of the Lok Sabha, a Governor, some High Court Chief Justices and Justices, DGP and Chief Secretary, Assam and numerous others.
The officer also stated that What's App needs to wake up to such impersonation scam. The number of government functionaries which are shared by the administration to aide citizens are being picked up by the scamsters and impersonated later to send messages to others.
In Assam, the officers have received messages form their seniors to pay for Amazon Gift cards too. The citizens on the other hand are receiving messages impersonated as Assam Electricity Board to pay the specified sum or else lose their electricity connection.
Not very recently, former DG Punjab VK Bhawra's profile photo was also used by an impersonator who sent messages to the police officials in Punjab.
The fraudsters had impersonated as Bhawra and sent messages to the Deputy CPs of Punjab Police in June.
The then DGP had taken to Twitter to send out a message stating, "Some fraudsters have used my DP to send messages to Deputy Commissioners from mobile number +91-74369-06364. I would like to inform that this number is not being used by me. Please report to Cyber Crime Punjab at aigcc@punjabpolice.gov.in".
The similar cases were witnessed in Mumbai and Pune Police in the month of May-June.
The scamsters impersonating as IPS and IAS officers have been targetting many innocent citizens as well as government employees.
Impersonation fraud is a case of cheating and extortion whereby the scamsters pose as an authority and fraudulently extort money from gullible citizens. The scamsters in What's App impersonation are targeting official number of government authorities are using their photos and numbers. They are creating What's App accounts with display photos of the concerned officers to target other government functionaries.
The impersonation fraud through What's App is a serious issue currently faced by numerous government officials that needs immediate attention from the Centre.
