An unidentified person tried to dupe a senior level official by asking for Rs 3 lakh while posing as Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in the Barmar district. According to Chief Executive Officer of Barmer Zila Parishad, OP Vishnoi, the phone number displayed the CM's name and picture on social messaging app, Whatsapp.
Vishnoi stated that he had initially received a call from a number that displayed the CM's picture but he did not respond, knowing it to be a hoax. Within a few moments, he received a message from the same number on Whatsapp, asking him to make an online payment of Rs 3 lakh against the purchase of 30 items on his behalf. The scammer assured Vishnoi that he will reimburse the amount later, the official said.
"It was clearly a fraud attempt so I did not respond to it. Since the name and the display picture of the chief minister were being misused, I informed the additional SP about it," he said. However, an FIR has not been registered in connection with the case.
Several such attempts have been made in the state where scammers use photos of ministers, IAS and IPS officers and demand money from junior officers, an official said.
A senior officer of the Jaipur police commissionerate said, "Looking at the recent fraud attempts, including in the state capital, a team has been formed to identify the accused. According to the primary information, a gang operating from Telangana is likely to be behind such cases".
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