Frauds forge BJP MLC’s letterhead, sign, voice; FIR registered

Unidentified miscreants tried to transfer local area development funds from Ratnagiri district in the Konkan to Beed district in Marathwada

Mumbai: BJP legislative council member Prasad Lad was the target of an alleged cyberfraud as some unidentified miscreants recently tried to transfer local area development funds from Ratnagiri district in the Konkan to Beed district in Marathwada. The miscreants used Lad’s fake letterhead, signature and voice recording, likely generated using artificial intelligence (AI), to hoodwink district officials to transfer the money till an alert official called their bluff, Lad told the legislative council on Wednesday.

Prasad Lad (HT PHOTO)

“On Tuesday evening, I received a call from the Ratnagiri district planning officer (DPO) saying someone from Beed had used my letterhead and sign and sought to transfer ₹3.20 crore from Ratnagiri to Beed,” Lad said in the council.

While the money was meant for various development works in Ratnagiri, the caller provided the DPO with a list of 36 projects in Beed which would purportedly be undertaken once the funds were transferred.

“The DPO is newly appointed and smelt a rat. He called me and I denied sending any request to transfer my funds,” Lad said.

When Lad saw a copy of the letter sent by the frauds, he realised that both the letterhead and his signature on it were fake.

“They had used AI and made calls using my voice, asking officials to divert funds. The same had happened to BJP MLC Shrikant Bharatiya earlier,” he said, urging the government to investigate the matter and formulate safeguards.

Responding to his statements, BJP legislative council member Niranjan Davkhare said a similar incident had occurred with fellow BJP legislative council member Uma Khapre.

“I routinely bar codes on fund transfer requests and letters to prevent such frauds,” he said.

Legislative council chairperson Ram Shinde said he himself was a victim of such a fraud.

“I was alert and hence registered an FIR (first information report). This is a serious case, tantamount to cheating the government and hence the government must look into this seriously and take strong action,” the chairperson said.

An FIR has been registered at Sion police station in connection with the alleged fraud with Lad, and three persons have been named as accused in the case, a police officer told Hindustan Times.

“The accused are from various places and police teams have already left to nab them. They will reach their destinations by Wednesday night and arrest the accused,” the officer said.