Cybercriminals using WhatsApp to threaten parents with fake kidnappings: RTC MD Sajjanar
Cybercriminals using WhatsApp calls to threaten parents in Hyderabad
HYDERABAD: TGSRTC MD VC Sajjanar raised an alarm about a rise in cybercrimes involving fake kidnapping threats targeting parents of school and college-going girls.
In a tweet, Sajjanar revealed that cybercriminals are using WhatsApp calls to pose as police officers, threatening parents by falsely claiming their daughters have been kidnapped.
In a recent case in Hyderabad's Rayadurg, cybercriminals called a student’s parents from a foreign number. The caller posed as a police officer, stating that their daughter had been kidnapped on her way to college. The criminals demanded money through online payment, threatening to kill the girl if the ransom was not paid. To add credibility, they played the sound of a girl crying on the call.
Frightened by the crying voice, the parents believed their daughter had been kidnapped and prepared to transfer the money. However, while still on the call with the criminals, they contacted their relatives, asking them to check if their daughter was safe at college. Upon learning that she was unharmed and attending her classes, the parents were relieved and immediately reported the matter to the local police station.
Sajjanar warned that such incidents have become frequent in the Telugu states, where criminals trick parents into sending money by claiming their daughters have been kidnapped. He advised parents not to respond to WhatsApp calls from unknown foreign numbers and not to give in to threats. Instead, he urged them to report such incidents to the local police stations without fear.