Dehradun BLO Falls Victim to Rs 1.5 Lakh Cyber Fraud by Impersonators Posing as Election Commission Officials
In a disturbing incident highlighting the vulnerability of election officials to digital scams, a booth level officer (BLO) from Dehradun's Raipur area was allegedly defrauded of Rs 1.5 lakh by cybercriminals who impersonated Election Commission (EC) officials. This crime occurred during the ongoing preparations for the upcoming Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Uttarakhand, raising serious concerns about security protocols.
How the Elaborate Scam Unfolded
The 56-year-old woman BLO received a call from an unknown number on January 9, as confirmed by Inspector Pradeep Kumar Rana. The caller presented himself as an EC official and claimed they needed to evaluate her performance before the SIR exercise commenced across the state. Trusting the caller's authority, the BLO complied with their instructions.
"The caller introduced himself as an Election Commission official and stated they wanted to assess her performance as a BLO ahead of the upcoming Special Intensive Revision. He then asked her to share a code that she would be receiving shortly. Believing them to be genuine EC officials, she shared the code," Inspector Rana explained regarding the initial deception.
Immediate Consequences and Delayed Realization
Shortly after sharing the code, the SIM card on her mobile phone was deactivated and remains non-functional to this day. Initially, the woman attributed this to a technical glitch and did not suspect any malicious activity. However, the situation took a serious turn a few days later when she visited her bank.
"A few days later, when she visited her bank, she discovered that approximately Rs 1.5 lakh had been transferred from her account in multiple transactions between January 15 and 17," Inspector Rana detailed about the financial theft. It was only at this point that she realized she had been systematically deceived by cybercriminals and promptly filed a formal complaint on Saturday.
Legal Action and Investigation Underway
An FIR has been officially registered under BNS Section 318(4) for cheating, along with relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act. Police authorities have launched a comprehensive probe to identify and apprehend the accused individuals behind this sophisticated cyber fraud operation.
This incident serves as a stark reminder about the increasing sophistication of cybercriminals who target government officials during critical administrative processes. The timing during electoral roll revision preparations adds an additional layer of concern regarding the security of election-related personnel and data across Uttarakhand.
