Cyber Fraudsters Impersonate Shivamogga DC on WhatsApp, Public Urged to Stay Vigilant
Scammers are sending fake messages using Deputy Commissioner Prabhuling Kavalikatti's name and photo from a foreign number, district administration warns citizens.
Shivamogga – The district administration has issued an urgent alert after cyber criminals began impersonating the newly appointed Deputy Commissioner of Shivamogga, Prabhuling Kavalikatti, through fake WhatsApp messages.
According to district officials, fraudsters have been using the Deputy Commissioner’s name along with his official photograph to send messages from an international WhatsApp number: +84 56 455 2858. These fraudulent messages have been sent to both ordinary citizens and government officials across various departments.
Deputy Commissioner Kavalikatti has clarified that these messages are completely fake and have no link to him or the district administration. To raise awareness, he shared screenshots of the fraudulent messages with the public.
The district administration has strongly advised people not to respond to any messages coming from this foreign number or any other suspicious unknown numbers. Officials emphasized that this is a clear case of cyber fraud.
Citizens are being warned to ignore any requests for money or help that come through such fake WhatsApp messages. The administration has also asked people to immediately block these numbers and avoid any interaction with the senders.
Both the general public and government employees have been urged to stay alert and report any such suspicious activity to the authorities.
