Dehradun BLO Falls Victim to Rs 1.5 Lakh Cyber Fraud Posing as Election Commission Officials
In a shocking incident from Dehradun, a booth level officer (BLO) from the Raipur area has allegedly been duped of Rs 1.5 lakh by cybercriminals who impersonated officials from the Election Commission (EC). This scam occurred amidst the ongoing preparations for the upcoming Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Uttarakhand, highlighting vulnerabilities even among those involved in electoral processes.
How the Elaborate Cyber Fraud Unfolded
According to police reports, the 56-year-old woman BLO received a call from an unknown number on January 9. The caller introduced himself as an EC official and claimed that her work would be evaluated before the SIR exercise began in the state. Trusting the caller's authority, she complied when asked to share a code that she would receive shortly.
Inspector Pradeep Kumar Rana stated, "The caller said they wanted to assess her performance as a BLO ahead of the upcoming SIR. He then asked her to share a code that she would be receiving in a while. Trusting them to be officials of EC, she shared the code." Immediately after sharing the code, the SIM card on her phone was deactivated and has remained inactive since.
Delayed Realization and Financial Loss
Initially, the woman assumed the SIM deactivation was a technical glitch and did not suspect any foul play. However, 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.
Rana explained, "It was only then that she realised she had been duped by cybercriminals." She promptly lodged a formal complaint on Saturday evening, leading to immediate police action.
Legal Action and Ongoing Investigation
An FIR has been registered under BNS Section 318(4) for cheating, along with relevant provisions of the IT Act. Authorities have launched a probe to identify and arrest the accused at the earliest.
This case underscores the growing threat of cyber fraud targeting individuals, even those in official capacities, and serves as a cautionary tale during critical electoral preparations in Uttarakhand.
