Bengaluru: A 56-year-old Bengaluru resident was allegedly cheated of ₹40,000 after cyber fraudsters created a fake Facebook profile of a senior IPS officer and convinced him to pay an advance for household items purportedly being sold by a CRPF personnel.
The victim, Jahir Hussain, a resident of Kariyanapalya in Banasawadi, lodged a complaint with the police after realising he had fallen prey to an online scam.
Fraudsters posed as senior IPS officer
According to the complaint, Jahir received a Facebook friend request on July 1 from a profile bearing the name and photograph of M. Narayana, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Electronics City Division). Believing the profile to be genuine, he accepted the request.
Soon afterwards, the fraudster obtained Jahir’s mobile number through Facebook Messenger and contacted him over the phone. The caller claimed that a friend serving with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) had been transferred to Kashmir and wanted to sell household items before relocating.
Trusting the story, Jahir agreed to purchase the items.
Victim transferred ₹40,000
The accused later sent a WhatsApp message containing a QR code and asked Jahir to pay an advance. He transferred ₹40,000 in multiple transactions using a digital payment application.
The fraudsters then demanded additional money on various pretexts. When Jahir refused to make further payments, they allegedly threatened him, prompting him to approach the police.
Police warn public against fake profiles
Banasawadi Police have registered a case under the Information Technology Act and launched an investigation.
DCP M. Narayana confirmed that fraudsters had created a fake Facebook profile using his name and photograph and had targeted several people in his contact network. He said at least 10 people from Bengaluru and other parts of Karnataka had reportedly fallen victim to the scam.
Police suspect the accused are operating from Rajasthan, and a special investigation team has been formed to trace them.
Officials have urged the public to verify social media profiles, avoid making advance payments to unknown persons, and report suspected cyber fraud immediately by calling the national cybercrime helpline 1930.