A cyber fraudster posing as police officer allegedly tried to trick Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Ludhiana west constituency Gurpreet Bassi Gogi, stating that his nephew had been arrested on drug peddling charges.
The accused claimed his nephew will be released if he paid a bribe. The caller said if he did not pay, a first-information report (FIR) will be registered against his nephew.
The MLA brought the matter to the notice of senior police officials.
Gogi said that he was at his home in Ghumar Mandi when former councillor Amrit Varsha Rampal came to see him.
Rampal received a call she was suspicious about and handed over her phone to the MLA to handle the call.
“As I answered the call, the caller, posing as a police officer, asked me the name of my nephew,” said Gogi.
“I provided the name, Arvind, and the accused claimed Arvind had been arrested for illegal activities and was in police custody. He attempted to create urgency, stating that they were about to book him for drug peddling,” the MLA added.
However, when MLA Gogi pressed for the name of the police station, the accused abruptly disconnected the call, the complaint said.
{{/usCountry}}However, when MLA Gogi pressed for the name of the police station, the accused abruptly disconnected the call, the complaint said.
{{/usCountry}}In light of the incident, MLA Gogi urged the public to remain vigilant and not fall prey to such scams. He advised citizens not to panic if they get a call from someone claiming to be a police officer. He emphasised the importance of not sharing any bank account details or one-time passwords (OTPs) with anyone over the phone.
“We are in discussions with the police administration to take strict action against those responsible for these fraudulent calls,” Gogi said.