By Neeraj Kumar
Patna: Cybercriminals in Bihar are deploying increasingly deceptive tactics to defraud citizens, with recent cases involving fraudulent use of the Raj Bhavan’s identity. Two distinct scams have emerged: in one, criminals created a fake Facebook account impersonating the Governor, while in another, they used WhatsApp to impersonate a Raj Bhavan official, attempting to sell alleged Raj Bhavan property at discounted rates. Raj Bhavan DSP Naveen Kumar has registered cases in both instances at the cyber police station.
DSP Naveen Kumar reported that the individual using the mobile number 9155502587 has been posing as a Raj Bhavan official on WhatsApp, attempting to deceive people by claiming to sell items such as old air conditioners and furniture from the Raj Bhavan at low prices.
In a separate instance, another fraudster created a fake Facebook account in the Governor’s name, copying the Governor’s photos and using them on the fake profile. Both cases are under investigation following the registration of formal complaints.
Meanwhile, 20 other residents have reported being collectively defrauded of Rs 15.56 lakh through various cyber scams. In one incident, Vijay Kumar Das from Rupaspur received a message about his gas connection being terminated. Upon calling the provided number, he was informed that his bill was overdue, leading to Rs 2.42 lakh being withdrawn from his account.
Another resident, Satish Kumar from Kankarbagh, lost Rs 50,000 in two transactions after fraudsters tricked him by pretending to activate his newly installed smart meter.
Similarly, Ramesh Kumar Sharma of Ashiana Nagar was defrauded of Rs 96,000. A fraudster, posing as an electricity board officer, knew Ramesh’s consumer number and convinced him his account balance was low, threatening a power cut. After clicking a link sent to his phone, Rs 96,000 was deducted from his fixed deposit account without bank authorisation.
These cases highlight the persistent and varied approaches cybercriminals are using to steal from unsuspecting citizens, prompting authorities to intensify their efforts in tracking and stopping such scams.
