In a troubling development, cyber criminals have created fake WhatsApp IDs impersonating three women IAS officers in Jharkhand. The fraudulent IDs, which use the officers’ photographs, have been used to send misleading messages to various individuals, prompting an urgent alert from the state administration.
The affected officers are Deputy Commissioners in Hazaribagh, Dhanbad, and Koderma. Hazaribagh Deputy Commissioner Nancy Sahay, an IAS officer if 2014 batch, took to social media to notify the public about the scam, revealing that her photograph was used to create a fake WhatsApp ID linked to the mobile number +94782883934. She has urged people not to engage with any communications from this number or similar unauthorized social media accounts.
Similarly, Dhanbad’s Deputy Commissioner Madhavi Mishra, an IAS officer if 2015 batch, has reported that her photo was used for a fake WhatsApp ID linked to the number +94785948722. Additionally, in Latehar, district officials have warned that a fake WhatsApp account using the photo of Deputy Commissioner Garima Singh and the number +94782533725 is being operated by an unknown individual.
The fake WhatsApp numbers used in these scams are registered in Sri Lanka, raising concerns about international cyber fraud. All three officers have appealed to the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious messages or activities to the police.
This incident is part of a larger pattern of cyber fraud in Jharkhand, where criminals have previously impersonated senior officials, including the Director General of Police (DGP), to deceive the public. The state administration is intensifying efforts to combat these cyber threats and protect the integrity of its officials.
