Fake FB a/c in cop's name: Special team to nab fraudster in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: The Tilak Nagar police have formed a special team to track down a conman who created a fake Facebook account in the name of police inspector K Vishwanath and duped one of his friends of Rs 20,000.

Inspector Vishwanath, who is also the investigating officer in the case, said the accused, who hails from Rajasthan, is being tracked using technical inputs.

“A special team has been formed to nab the suspect. Once we get confirmation of his location, a police team will head there to detain him,” he said.

The officer said the scam came to light when one of his friends, who had already transferred Rs 20,000, was about to send another Rs 80,000.

"Before transferring the second amount, he called the number to confirm. The man spoke in Hindi, which made my friend suspicious. He then contacted me directly and informed me about the incident,” Vishwanath added.

Following this, Vishwanath posted an alert from his official Facebook account warning others about the fake profile and urging them not to transfer any money.

On October 29, the fake Facebook account named ‘Vishwanath PSI’ was created, claiming that an Assistant Commandant with the CRPF — allegedly a close friend — was being transferred and wanted to sell his household furniture.

The post mentioned that all items were in good condition and available at reasonable prices. Believing the post to be genuine, one of Vishwanath’s friends transferred Rs 20,000 via UPI the same evening.