In a troubling incident, an unidentified scammer attempted to deceive a Range Forest Officer (RFO) in Chulbandh, Gondia division, by impersonating IFS officer Vikas Gupta, who serves as the Managing Director of Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra. The impostor utilized Gupta’s image and falsely claimed his designation through WhatsApp, urging the RFO to transfer ₹50,000.
Despite the RFO’s attempts to contact the supposed Gupta, the scammer evaded calls, citing poor network connectivity during a purported meeting. Urging immediate action, the fraudster pressed the RFO to expedite the transaction.
Subsequently, Vikas Gupta reported the fraudulent messages to Rana Pratap Nagar police, submitting evidence of the scam. Authorities are investigating the matter to apprehend the perpetrator behind this deceitful attempt to exploit official identities for financial gain.