In MP, alert sounded for calls asking ‘book Covid vaccine for ₹500’

The caller claimed to be calling from the ministry of health and urged people to sign up by downloading an app or through a shared OTP, said an officer of MP cyber cell.

Updated on: Dec 25, 2020, 18:55:40 IST

Hindustan Times, Bhopal | By Shruti Tomar

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Cautioning people, the Madhya Pradesh police cyber cell issued an alert after complaints surfaced that calls are being made to citizens asking them to pay ₹500 and get themselves registered to receive the coronavirus vaccine in the first phase.

The police are trying to track down the numbers which are being used to commit fraud. (HT Representative photo)

The caller claimed to be calling from the ministry of health and urged people to sign up by downloading an app or through a shared OTP, said an officer of MP cyber cell.

“Fraudsters from Haryana, Hyderabad and Telangana are targeting people on the pretext of registration for Covid-19 vaccine. We are creating awareness among people and asking them not to share any OTP and download any app for registration,” said MP cyber cell additional superintendent of police Rajat Sakhlecha.

A complaint was filed in Bhopal in this regard.

“Hello sir, I am calling from the ministry of Health. The registration for Covid 19 vaccine has started and it will be provided as a first-come, first-served basis. We are sending you an OTP just book your vaccine for ₹500 so that you can get vaccination in the first phase,” read a complaint detailing the modus operandi by the fraudsters.

The person who received the call informed the police, said Irshad Wali, deputy inspector general (DIG) of police.

“We are trying to track down the numbers which are being used to commit fraud. We also issued an alert,” said the DIG.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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