Kolkata, Nov. 3 -- Former Chief Secretary Manish Gupta has complained to the Cyber Crime Police Station in Kolkata, alleging that unidentified cyber fraudsters created a fake social media profile in his name and sought money from his acquaintances.
Sources said Gupta recently learnt from some acquaintances that they had transferred money to a bank account, believing he had asked for it in an emergency.
On being questioned, they said they had received multiple messages from his supposed social media account requesting funds.
When Gupta verified the matter, he discovered that fraudsters had cloned his profile using his name, photographs and a WhatsApp number to send such messages. He immediately lodged a formal complaint and warned his contacts not to respond to any money requests sent in his name.
Police have registered a case and begun an investigation. Preliminary findings suggest the fraudsters may be operating from another state.
Officers are trying to trace the Internet Protocol (IP) address used to create the fake account and the mobile number linked to the WhatsApp messages.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.