Bhopal/Damoh, Oct 24 (IANS) In a brazen bid to exploit trust and siphon funds from unsuspecting contacts, cybercriminals allegedly created a fake WhatsApp account impersonating Damoh District Collector Sudhir Kochhar, using fabricated documents and a Vietnamese country code to mask their tracks.

The audacious scheme, targeting the collector’s personal network of friends and associates, was thwarted before it could blossom into a full-blown cyber crisis, thanks to the vigilant intervention of the district administration and police.

The impostor account, complete with the collector’s profile picture and official details, began dispatching urgent messages soliciting financial aid under false pretences – ranging from fabricated emergencies to urgent “official” transfers.

Recipients, believing the pleas emanated from the trusted IAS officer, were moments away from compliance when the ruse unravelled.

Collector Kochhar, upon receiving wind of the anomaly through a tip-off from a wary contact, wasted no time in alerting Superintendent of Police Shrutkirti Somvanshi.

“As soon as the information surfaced, my e-governance and cyber teams swung into action,” Kochhar recounted in a press briefing at the SP’s office.

“We traced the suspicious activity within hours, preventing any pecuniary loss.”

A formal complaint against an unidentified perpetrator was promptly lodged at the Damoh SP office, invoking provisions under the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for identity theft and attempted fraud.

The cyber cell of Madhya Pradesh Police in Damoh, a specialised unit equipped with advanced forensic tools, has since launched a meticulous probe.

Investigators are delving into digital footprints, including IP logs, device metadata, and the forged credentials used to register the account via WhatsApp’s Vietnamese (+84) prefix – a common ploy to evade Indian jurisdiction and detection algorithms.

“The fraudsters’ use of international codes underscores their sophistication, but our team is collaborating with national cyber agencies to unmask them,” affirmed SP Somvanshi, emphasising round-the-clock monitoring.

This incident is not an isolated skirmish in Madhya Pradesh’s escalating cyber warfare.

Statewide, cyber frauds have surged by 45 per cent in 2025, per Madhya Pradesh Police data, with impersonation scams claiming over Rs 150 crore in losses.

High-profile targets like district collectors are prime prey, as seen in recent cases from neighbouring Gwalior and Sagar, where fake profiles duped officials into transferring lakhs.

Nationally, similar ruses have ensnared bureaucrats in Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, where fraudsters posed as superiors to extract funds via WhatsApp.

Underscoring the gravity, Collector Kochhar issued a stark public advisory: “I maintain no personal IDs on any social media or messaging platforms. Disregard any such accounts purporting to be mine.”

He urged citizens to abstain from engaging with unsolicited requests for money, sharing sensitive details, or initiating transactions, labelling such overtures as hallmarks of cyber entrapment.

“Report anomalies immediately to 1930, the national cyber helpline, or your local police. Vigilance is our collective shield,” he urged, flanked by cyber cell officers demonstrating scam-spotting techniques.

–IANS

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