The Kochi city cyber police have arrested three youths from Thiruvananthapuram on the charge of duping people by creating fake WhatsApp account and Facebook posts by using the photo of the Director General of Prosecution.
The arrested individuals are Achu S, 28, of Arumaloor; Amal Shaji, 24, of Titanium; and Vimal V, 23, of Manakkadu. They allegedly created the fake WhatsApp account and posted ads on Facebook Marketplace, claiming a vehicle was for sale. They allegedly contacted the victims through the fake account after collecting an advance by promising the vehicle.
The accused, however, neither gave the vehicle nor refunded the money. They had allegedly duped many victims collectively to the tune of lakhs by cheating them ₹50,000 and upwards. They were arrested on a petition filed by one such victim from Kochi.
The trio had been allegedly carrying out similar fraud for about a year. The police recovered several mobile phones and SIM cards from them at the time of the arrest.
Published – December 05, 2024 10:10 pm IST