Worried over the rise in cyber crimes in Odisha, the state government has asked Netizens to exercise caution during all financial transactions.
The government recently issued a statement to say that cybercriminals are using photos of senior bureaucrats on WhatsApp and other messaging platforms on social media.
“It has come to notice that a fake telephone number ‘9315641784’ is using the photo of Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra, and asking people to pay bills or remit some money," the official statement said.
“The government want to inform people that there is no such mobile phone number of chief secretary. The chief secretary never asks any one to pay any bill or remit money to any account," said the statement issued on Tuesday.
Maintaining that the chief secretary would not be accountable for any transaction done on the basis of these fake messages, it also said, “All are requested to remain alert and careful about such messages. Anybody receiving any such message is requested to inform cyber police station or nearest police station."
Earlier, similar messages were sent to people from a fake profile of Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary PK Jena.
Quoting sources, news agency PTI reported that Jena had filed a complaint regarding the incident, but the scammers were yet to be traced.
Cyber fraudsters had also opened a fake WhatsApp account in the name of the Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC) Commissioner.
The WhatsApp account bearing the picture of BeMC Commissioner J Sonal was opened with phone number 9065035805.
With inputs from PTI.
