Former MLC appeals to public to steer clear of cyber criminals

Vakati Narayana Reddy, former MLC representing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), escaped from the clutches of cyber criminals, however, not before having a harrowing experience for six and a half days. The leader has since filed a complaint with Vedayapalem police station in SPSR Nellore district.

The incident began on September 27 with a fake call allegedly representing an international cargo handling company, saying ‘his consignment’ sent from Mumbai to Thailand contained drugs. Though he claimed his innocence in the matter, the fake caller ‘transferred’ the call to the cyber crime division of Mumbai.

“With a typical cyber crime office setup in the backdrop, an official on the other side contacted me on video call. I was not permitted to disconnect my video call for hours”, Mr. Reddy told The Hindu.

During the grilling in the name of online investigation, the speakers tried to convince him that his Aadhaar card details had been compromised and that the fake account opened in his name in Mumbai had been used for money laundering. They also demanded him to be in ‘self custody’ by staying live on mobile for several hours at a stretch.

Even as Mr. Reddy turned suspicious with several speakers contacting him by introducing themselves as represents of various wings such as Cyber crime and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the last one offered a deal to settle the case on payment of ₹15 crore on October 6. “It was then that it occurred to me something was wrong and I filed a case with the police on October 7th”, Mr. Narayana Reddy said.

The former MLC appealed to the public to steer clear of such dubious callers and advised caution in sharing personal details to strangers stalking them online.

Published - October 09, 2024 08:16 pm IST