Hyderabad city police are on the lookout for a person who allegedly impersonated senior IAS officer and Special Chief Secretary (Urban Development) Arvind Kumar and attempted to extort money from people known to him and his staff at Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA).
In a Tweet on Tueesday, Mr. Kumar said: “Someone is sending messages from 9313411812 asking for money from my staff /others !! Upon being informed, I have filed immediately a police complaint. It's not me and please ignore any message if recd.”
The senior bureaucrat tagged Telangana DGP Mahender Reddy and City Police Commissioner C. V. Anand and shared the screenshot of the WhatsApp number wherein his photograph was used as the profile picture.
Mr. Anand said that he received a complaint from Mr. Kumar via WhatsApp and action will be taken against the impersonator as per the law.
Meanwhile, Jubilee Hills inspector S. Rajashekar Reddy said that HMDA Enforcement inspector S. Venkatesh lodged a complaint stating that their employees received WhatsApp messages from 9313411812 impersonating Mr. Kumar and attempted to extort money.
One of the employees received a message which said “There is something I need you to do. I’m in a meeting with limited phone calls and want you to transfer money on this number.”
Based on the complaint lodged by Mr. Venkatesh, a case under Sections 419 (Punishment for cheating by impersonation) of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 66 (C) and (D) of the Information Technology Act against an unknown person and a probe was launched.
On Monday, Mahabubnagar Collector S Venkat Rao took to Twitter stating that his mobile and Google account was hacked.
“The culprits again started with another mobile number and asking money. I filed Criminal case. Pl ignore any msgs you received from any new number. Pl ignore profile pic they are using,” Mr. Rao tweeted.
