Assam: Fraudster demands money using WhatsApp in the name of Dhubri DC

With the spurt in the number of online frauds in the state of Assam, the Dhubri deputy commissioner, Anbamuthan MP, has fallen prey to an unidentified online fraudster who has been demanding money from multiple people by impersonating him on Whatsapp. 

Fraudsters use the photo of Dhubri's deputy commissioner and send WhatsApp messages to various colleagues and ADC in the administration branch of Dhubri demanding to be paid in Amazon Pay E-gift cards of Rs. 10,000 each.

The WhatsApp message was sent to buy Amazon Pay E gift cards as the deputy commissioner is busy in a meeting and needs to pay the amount most urgently.

The cost of each gift card is Rs 10,000 for purchasing 11 Amazon pay E gift cards. There was an outcry among the staff of the deputy commissioner's office as well as the additional deputy commissioners after receiving the message.

As soon as the deputy commissioner, Anbamuthan MP, received this news, he clarified that it was a tactic to loot money from the vicious circle, which is also called the 'Boss Scam'. The district deputy commissioner appealed to everyone to be cautious of such kinds of scams and to stay away from such fraudsters.

Earlier, the Barpeta Deputy Commissioner had fallen prey to an unidentified online fraudster who has been demanding money from multiple people by impersonating him on Whatsapp.

A hugely popular online communication platform like WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, has become a favourite tramping ground for fraudsters. This is not surprising, considering the enormous number of WhatsApp users, which as of February 2020 stood at over 2 billion users worldwide, and counting. If you add to this the fact that, for various reasons, the majority of WhatsApp users are vulnerable when online, WhatsApp has become an irresistible platform for fraudsters.

Furthermore, users have become more vulnerable over time, since the tactics used by scammers are becoming more and more ingenious and more effective.