Cybercriminals Impersonate Senior IAS Officer Pratyaya Amrit in Fraud Scheme

Patna: Cybercriminals have been impersonating Pratyaya Amrit, Senior IAS Officer and Additional Chief Secretary of the Health Department, in a fraudulent scheme. The culprits have been using Amrit’s photograph on a WhatsApp account to demand money, misleading authorities and officials.

Upon discovering the scam, Pratyaya Amrit reported the issue to the Economic Offenses Unit (EOU). In response, the EOU registered a First Information Report (FIR) on Wednesday and assigned Inspector Sanjeev Kumar to investigate the case and take appropriate action.

In his complaint to the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the EOU, Amrit revealed that health department officials received messages and calls from the mobile number 94725363384, which falsely used his photograph. He clarified that neither the calls nor the messages were sent by him.

Amrit urged for the immediate deactivation of the fake number, a thorough investigation, and stringent action against those responsible. The EOU has promptly responded, registering an FIR under sections 318A and 319 of the Indian Penal Code, which pertain to cheating by creating a fake identity on WhatsApp.