A fake email attempting to derail the fireman recruitment process at an Army unit in Ulsoor has triggered a cybercrime investigation, after candidates were falsely informed that the examination had been postponed.
An officer from 515 Army Base Workshop filed a complaint with the east division of the cybercrime police, stating that recruitment for the fireman post was being conducted from February 13 to 15 under the Ministry of Defence (Army).
Fake email mimicked official ID
According to the complaint, admit cards had been issued to eligible candidates. The official recruitment communication had earlier been sent on January 12 from the authentic email ID used by the unit.
However, on February 7, a civil defence employee was alerted by a candidate who received a separate message claiming that the recruitment had been postponed due to technical reasons. On verification, authorities found that the email had been sent from a fake ID closely resembling the official one.
Officials described it as a deliberate attempt to mislead applicants and possibly prevent genuine candidates from attending the recruitment process.
Cybercrime probe underway
A senior police officer confirmed that a case has been registered under provisions of the Information Technology Act. Investigators are now working to trace the origin of the fake email account and determine how the sender obtained details of candidates who had applied.
Authorities have issued a clarification to all applicants, urging them to rely only on official communications. The incident has raised concerns over data security and the misuse of digital platforms to sabotage recruitment processes.