Hyderabad: Cyber fraudsters created a fake WhatsApp account using the name and photo of Nirmal District Collector Abhilasha Abhinav, triggering concern among officials and residents. Acting quickly, the Collector’s office filed a police complaint and issued a public warning to prevent further misuse.
Fake WhatsApp account in Nirmal Collector’s name sparks alert
Officials became suspicious after receiving unusual WhatsApp messages that seemed to come from the Collector. Soon, several senior officers confirmed they had received similar texts. The district administration clarified that the Collector had no link to the number and that fraudsters were trying to deceive people for money. Consequently, the Collector’s office released an official statement urging citizens to stay cautious and not share personal or financial information.
Investigators traced the fake number to Thailand (+66 958518330). Following this discovery, police began verifying the links and collecting technical evidence. Meanwhile, the Collector appealed to the public to report any suspicious messages immediately.
Past incident raises fresh concerns
Earlier, during the tenure of former Collector Musharraf Ali, a similar fake account had circulated messages using his photograph. Although those messages came from a different number, the profile picture misled many people into believing it was genuine. Once the fraud was exposed, the Collector alerted everyone and blocked the number.
Now, with the latest scam repeating the same pattern, officials and residents in Nirmal are demanding stronger cyber protection. They fear that such impersonations could damage the credibility of public offices and endanger citizens’ data.