Two individuals, Shakeel Mohammed and Sunil Prajapat, were arrested in Alwar, Rajasthan, for their involvement in a fraudulent online scam. The accused are allegedly behind the creation of fake Facebook profiles, one of which impersonated Bhopal’s top cop, Harinarayanachari Mishra, the city’s Police Commissioner. The fraudsters used these profiles to deceive the public and extort money.
The Bhopal Crime Branch Deputy Commissioner of Police, Akhil Patel, confirmed the arrests and stated that the police would seek further custody of the suspects to deepen the investigation into their methods.
The scam came to light on November 5 when a 48-year-old businessman reported to the cybercrime cell that he had been scammed of Rs45,000. The victim had received a message on Facebook, supposedly from the Police Commissioner, claiming he was selling old furniture. Believing the message to be legitimate, the businessman made a payment via an online QR code provided by the fraudster.
The police recovered key evidence during the arrest, including four mobile phones, three SIM cards, and Rs5,000 in cash from the accused.
The two men are also wanted by the Karnataka police for similar offenses, where they allegedly impersonated a superintendent of police to deceive victims online.
In a separate but related incident, two individuals in Bhopal reported losing Rs95 lakh to cyber fraudsters. The victims had fallen prey to fake videos featuring prominent businessmen. The fraudsters used these deceptive videos to direct the victims to fake websites promising high returns, which led to the loss of a large sum. Both victims admitted that they had not verified the authenticity of the videos and had unknowingly clicked suspicious links.
This series of cybercrimes highlights the growing trend of social media impersonation and online fraud, where criminals use fake profiles and fabricated stories to exploit the public for financial gain. Authorities are now urging people to be cautious and to verify any suspicious offers or messages before making financial transactions online.