Cyber frauds using photos of VVIPs

Tribune News Service

Bhanu P Lohumi

Shimla, August 3

Cyber fraudsters are duping people by taking remote access to their devices by portraying them as VVIPs.

The miscreants are using profile photographs of VVIPs, especially heads of departments, politicians, judicial officers, IAS officers and professors on fake Facebook and WhatsApp accounts to extract money in their name.

Several journalists in Shimla have received messages from cyber criminals posing to be the Chief Minister, asking for an Amazon Pay gift card. Similarly, a friend of an officer was duped through a fake account in the officer’s name, requesting for urgent money transfer.

Criminals send a link for transfer of money and as soon as the link is clicked, take the remote access of the mobile device and get the login details and dupe people. So far, 65 complaints have been received at the cyber police station, Shimla. In 15-20 per cent cases, the fraudsters pretended to be high-profile people. Investigation revealed the connivance of retailers selling SIM cards with fraudsters, said Additional SP, Cyber Crime, Narvir Singh Rathore.

People using non-Android phones have been targeted by the retailers, who take the documents from them for issuing SIM cards and take a few hours to one day to provide the SIM card to customers.

In the meantime, these SIMs are given to the criminals, who create fake accounts and when the SIM is given to the customer, he is not aware that a WhatsApp account is running from their number, Rathore said.

The people in general are advised not to click on links seeking money and be cautious about such illegal tactics. People/friends who need urgent money do not send messages, he said.

How they dupe

Miscreants are using profile photographs of VVIPs, especially heads of departments, politicians, judicial officers, IAS officers and professors on fake Facebook and WhatsApp accounts to extract money in their name

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