Frauds impersonate Mumbai Collector, seek money from revenue officers on WhatsApp

Mumbai officials thwarted a fraud attempt where scammers impersonated City Collector Aanchal Goyal, seeking urgent money transfers via WhatsApp. Police are investigating.

MUMBAI: A well-planned attempt to dupe senior revenue officials by impersonating Mumbai City Collector and District Magistrate Aanchal Goyal was foiled after alert officers quickly identified the fraud and informed the police.

Frauds impersonate Mumbai Collector, seek money from revenue officers on WhatsApp

The MRA Marg police have registered an FIR against unidentified persons for cheating and attempting to commit serious offences after several revenue department officials received WhatsApp messages from a mobile number displaying the photograph and name of Mumbai City Collector Aanchal Sood Goyal.

According to the police, the frauds claimed that the Collector was facing issues with her online banking application and urgently needed money transferred for an “ongoing project”, assuring the officers that the amount would later be refunded.

The case was registered following a complaint lodged by Meghraj Pardeshi, a revenue department officer posted at the Old Customs House on Shahid Bhagat Singh Road in Fort.

Police said the suspicious messages were first received on May 16 on the mobile number assigned to the disaster management cell of the collector’s office, which Pardeshi monitors.

“I want you to complete a task for me. I wanted to make a transaction in an ongoing project; however, due to bank problems I was unable to do it. I want you to do it for me, I will later refund the money to you,” the WhatsApp message read.

Sensing something amiss, Pardeshi immediately informed Sachin Shirkhe, personal assistant to Collector. Shirkhe subsequently verified the matter with Goyal, who confirmed that she had not sent any such message.

Following the confirmation, the officials approached the MRA Marg police station and lodged a formal complaint.

“We have registered a case against unknown persons under sections 62 (punishment for attempting to commit serious offences) and 318 (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Section 66 of the Information Technology Act related to computer-related offences,” a police officer said.

Police are now tracing the mobile number used in the impersonation attempt and probing whether similar messages were sent to other government officials as part of a wider fraud network.