MP: Man held for defrauding people posing as income-tax officer

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], April 21 (ANI): Madhya Pradesh cyber cell arrested a 40-year-old man for defrauding people by posing as a senior income-tax officer from Pali district in Rajasthan, a police officer said on Thursday.
The accused has been identified as Suresh Kumar (40), a resident of Pali, Rajasthan. He had duped Rs 5.2 lakhs from a famous jeweller in Bhopal by posing as the income tax officer. The police also recovered a mobile phone, SIM and Rs 1 lakh rupees cash from the accused.
On April 14, the victim submitted a written application at Cyber and Crime police station, Bhopal that he was duped of Rs 5.20 lakh by an unknown person who claimed himself to be an Income Tax officer. The accused took the money from the victim in three slots between March 9 and March 19 this year.
Speaking to ANI, State Cyber Cell, Superintendent of Police (SP) Vaibhav Shrivastava said, "The victim told the police that he received a call from the accused who introduced himself as an Income Tax official. The accused asked the victim if he needed the money, which he would return in two days. But after a few days when the victim confirmed about the actual officer whose name was used by the accused, then that officer said he did not make any such call. The accused had cheated the victim jeweller of Rs 5.2 lakhs."
During the investigation of the case, it came to light that the accused is a resident of Rajasthan and was identified as Suresh Kumar. The team then conducted an operation there and arrested him, he added.
Talking about the modus operandi of the crime, SP Shrivastava further said, "The accused used to search on Google to see where IT raids have taken place in the recent past. Then he selects the city and then collects complete information of both the victims and officers from social media and official websites. So that he would appear genuine on the call. After this, he called the PA of the senior IT officer on the landline, introduced himself as a senior police officer and asked for the mobile number of the officer by claiming that he lost my mobile. In this way, he took the officer's number."
After that, the accused used to call those whose places used were raided and talk to them as an officer and to make them believe, he used to tell the information gathered from social media. The accused used to collect personal things about the officer whom he poses from various social media platforms so that the person in front can be convinced that he is speaking as an officer, the SP added.
The accused had duped many people in the past by posing as a former minister, collector and other senior officials. The accused had over 62 cases of cheating registered against him. (ANI)