Mangaluru Police arrest imposter who created 20 fake Facebook IDs to cheat people
Parmeshwarappa alias Param, is from Hosadurga Tq, Chitradurga District.
Mangaluru, Dec 24, 2020: Mangaluru City Police have arrested an imposter who had created 20 fake Facebook IDs and cheated people in the name of matrimony and employment opportunity.
The arrested person is identified as Parmeshwarappa alias Param, a resident of Kurubarahalli village, Hosadurga Tq, Chitradurga District.
He was produced before the Second JMFC Court, Mangaluru on Wednesday. He is at present in Police custody pending test results for Covid 19 as per the established protocol.
Case details:
On December 2, Sri Harsha N, Senior Superintendent, Department of Posts, lodged a complaint with the Mangaluru City Cyber Crime Police Station that a person by name Parameshwarappa was pretending over social media as Senior Postal Officer in Mangaluru.
Parameshwarappa had allegedly requested for a matrimonial alliance with the daughter of one Hanumappa Giriappa Bisalli, a resident of Goa. The accused Parameshwarappa had edited TV 9 and AAJ Tak TV clippings using the PICSART App portraying himself as the winner of the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award and Meghadoot Award thereby creating a good impression for himself.
Hanumappa who decided to check the authenticity enquired about Parameshwarappa with the Postal authorities of Mangaluru and came to know that there was no such person by this name working in Mangaluru Postal Department.
Sri Harsha. N lodged a complaint with the Cyber Crime Police Station.
Police constables cheated:
Meanwhile on December 20 two Police constables of City Armed Reserve Police, also lodged a complaint with Cyber Crime Police Station Mangaluru that they were cheated to the tune of rupees six lakhs. They were promised employment as Grade I & Grade 2 Officers in the Department of Posts by using a false Facebook account in the name of one lady by name Pooja C N. She was projected as a Senior Officer in the Postal Department.
Police take up investigation:
The police took these cases seriously and the Cyber Crime Police Station officials took up the investigation cases. The investigation was carried out under the directions of Mangaluru City Commissioner Vikash Kumar Vikash, and the supervision of DCP Hariram Shankar, Investigating Officer (IO) B.C Girish, Police Inspector Cyber Crime Police Station Mangaluru City, revealed that both the cases were interconnected.
Arrest:
Following up the leads B.C.Girish and his staff were able to secure the fraudster Parmeshwarappa on December 22 from the KSRTC Bus stand, Mangaluru.
The Revelation:
The accused upon interrogation revealed that he had created 20 false Facebook accounts under different names. He would normally befriend senior officers from various departments like Posts, Police, Forest, KPTCL, and Education Departments over social media platforms. Being friends over social media with top Government officials, he would bring credibility to himself.
He would pretend to be a Senior Officer in the Department of Posts, having good credibility and influence there, and then lure people into believing that he could secure them good jobs in the Department of Posts by paying a price for it. He thus managed to cheat 13 persons to the tune of rupees 15-20 lakhs till now by promising them good jobs in the Department of Posts.
He had managed to befriend about 75 persons engaged in various professions using multiple fake IDs.
Seizure:
The City Cyber Crime Unit has seized one laptop, five mobiles, duplicate IDs of the Postal Department, ICICI Bank Debit Card from the accused. The value of seized articles is about 1.35 lakh. The case is under investigation.
