Bengaluru: Senior IAS officer Manivannan P., currently serving as Principal Secretary to the Government of Karnataka (Social Work Department), has filed a complaint with the Cyber Crime Police, Central Division, over the creation of multiple fake Facebook (Meta) accounts in his name by an unidentified person.
The impersonation allegedly involved misuse of his photograph and identity for sending spam messages and possibly engaging in cyber fraud activities.
FIR Registered Under IT Act
Following the complaint, police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) under Section 66 of the Information Technology Act, which deals with computer-related offenses such as identity theft and unauthorized access.
The investigation is now underway to trace the IP addresses and digital footprints associated with the fake accounts.
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Manivannan’s Account Temporarily Deactivated
In his official complaint, Manivannan stated that his legitimate Meta account had been misused and temporarily deactivated. He said the accused created multiple fake profiles using his name and photograph, which were then used to send spam and unsolicited messages to various users.
He urged the cyber crime authorities to take preventive action by disabling such accounts and to ensure that the impersonation is halted before it causes broader harm.
Request for Swift Action
The senior bureaucrat also appealed for a swift investigation to trace the unknown accused, stressing that such misuse of an official’s identity could potentially lead to public confusion, loss of credibility, and exploitation of citizens.
Cybercrime police have acknowledged the seriousness of the matter and are reportedly working with Meta’s platform security team to verify and remove the fake accounts.
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