In a recent case of online fraud, a cybercriminal employed the photograph of a High Court judge as their WhatsApp profile picture. The fraudster successfully convinced a judge from Solapur to send money, claiming to be the High Court judge. However, when the scammer demanded further funds, the Solapur judge grew suspicious. Upon investigation, it was revealed that the WhatsApp number belonged to a fictitious person.
According to police sources, the Solapur judge received a message on WhatsApp on Friday. The message stated that the sender was busy in an urgent meeting and requested the judge to transfer ₹50,000 to their account, promising to return the money by the evening.
Because the High Court judge's photo was on the WhatsApp DP, the Solapur judge believed it was indeed the High Court judge requesting the money. When the Solapur judge attempted to transfer the money, the transfer failed, so he asked his wife to send the money.
A police officer stated that the judge's wife, who is also a judge, transferred the money from her account to the account of the person she believed was the High Court judge. Shortly after sending the money, the fraudster made another demand for money, which made the Solapur judge suspicious. He contacted the High Court judge's office to verify, and it was revealed that they had been deceived.
Azad Maidan police have registered an FIR under various sections of the IPC and the IT Act and have started an investigation into the matter.