Bengaluru: A 56-year-old man was allegedly cheated out of Rs 40,000 after cyber fraudsters impersonated an IPS officer on Facebook and persuaded him to pay an advance for household items purportedly being sold by a CRPF employee.According to the complaint filed by Jahir Hussain, a resident of Kariyanapalya in Banasawadi, he is acquainted with IPS officer M Narayana, who serves as the deputy commissioner of police for the Electronics City division. On July 1, Jahir received a Facebook friend request from an unknown person using Narayana’s name and profile photograph. Believing the account to be genuine, he accepted the request.Soon after Jahir accepted the friend request, the fraudster obtained his mobile number through Facebook messages and later contacted him by phone. During the conversation, the caller claimed that a friend serving in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) had been transferred to Kashmir and wanted to sell his household belongings before vacating his residence.The fraudster then persuaded Jahir to purchase the household items at a discounted price. Believing the story to be genuine, the complainant agreed to buy them. He was subsequently asked to pay an advance through a WhatsApp message, along with a QR code for the payment.Following the instructions, Jahir transferred Rs 40,000 in multiple transactions from his bank account using a digital payment application. The fraudsters later continued to demand additional money, citing various reasons. However, Jahir told TOI that he refused to make any further payments.When Jahir refused to pay any more money, the accused allegedly began threatening him. Realising that he had been duped, he approached the police and lodged a complaint, seeking legal action against the unidentified cyber fraudsters. Banasawadi police registered a case under the Information Technology Act and have launched an investigation.DCP M Narayana said the fraudsters had created a fake Facebook profile using his name and photograph to target unsuspecting victims. They contacted several people from his network with the same fabricated story. According to him, at least 10 people from Bengaluru, including Banasawadi and Hebbagodi, as well as Karwar, Vijayapura and other districts, fell victim to the scam and lost money.Narayana said the fraudsters are believed to be operating from Rajasthan. A special police team has been formed to trace and apprehend the accused. “I urge people not to believe such messages. I will never suggest that people buy household articles and make payments,” Narayana added.A senior police officer said the same gang is suspected of having created fake Facebook profiles of several senior IPS officers by downloading their photographs from social media. Using these fake accounts, the fraudsters allegedly contacted people in the officers’ networks and sought money on various pretexts.STAY ALERT-Verify social media profiles before accepting friend requests, even if they appear to belong to senior officials or acquaintances.-Never transfer money based solely on messages or phone calls claiming to sell household items or offer attractive deals.-Confirm such requests by calling the officer on their known mobile number, not the number provided in the message.-Be cautious of QR codes and advance payment requests from unknown or unverified persons.-If you suspect a cyber fraud, immediately report it by calling cyber helpline 1930 or to nearest police station.
