Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Lesser used social media platforms like Facebook are paving the way for cyber crooks to dupe people by creating fake IDs specially of women. The district cyber crime cell has registered 40 such cases in last two months, in which the crooks made fake IDs of women users, downloaded their photos from their profile and sought money from people present in their friends’ list, officials said.
According to cyber wing senior officials, the crooks target women who do not use their Facebook IDs and are less active on the platform. Due to this, fake ID created in their name does not come to their notice. The crooks who successfully create IDs in their name send message to friends mentioned on Facebook page to seek money for medical treatment of their kin and other pretexts. Cyber officials said such cases were rampant in villages in Bhopal district.
Once the complaint regarding fake IDs is reported to the cyber cell, the cell writes an email to Facebook to shut down the fake ID. The ID is then deactivated within two to three days. But police are unable to trace the accused who had created the ID, which helps crooks in giving cops the slip.
Last year, fake Facebook ID of Sachin Atulkar (former additional commissioner of police of Bhopal), EOW officials was created through which crooks used to demand money. The accused in Sachin Atulkar’s fake ID case was arrested from Satna as the fake ID was operational even after complaint made to Facebook.
Add privacy features: DCP
Deputy police commissioner Shrutkirti Somwanshi advised to lock Facebook ID, as the social media platform has ramped up its privacy features to prevent strangers from accessing target person’s photos. He added that people should not accept friend requests from unknown people.
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