Cyber Fraudsters Dupe Victim Using Union Minister’s Name

Cybercriminals are becoming increasingly aggressive, targeting not only ordinary citizens but also family members of prominent personalities. In a recent incident, B.V. Vijayalakshmi (75), wife of late CPI leader Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy, was allegedly duped of approximately ₹11 lakh in an online investment scam. She reportedly fell victim to a fraudulent advertisement that misused the name and image of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

According to police, Vijayalakshmi came across an investment advertisement on social media in December last year. The advertisement, featuring the photograph of the Finance Minister, claimed that high returns could be earned through trading with a SEBI-registered firm named ‘Quantapulse.’ Believing it to be genuine, she clicked on the link provided. Soon after, she was contacted on WhatsApp by an individual identifying himself as “Aditya Subrahmanyam,” who initially collected ₹13,000 as a registration fee.

Subsequently, on January 30, she was persuaded to transfer ₹1.99 lakh as an investment. A few days later, another person claiming to be “Adam Smith” from the UK contacted her, stating that profits had been generated in dollars. However, he alleged that the transactions were blocked and demanded tax payments. Under this pretext, she transferred additional amounts in installments until February 13, ultimately losing ₹10.91 lakh. When repeated demands for money raised suspicion, Vijayalakshmi realized she had been defrauded and approached the Cyberabad Cyber Crime Police, who have registered a case and initiated an investigation.

Police have cautioned the public against trusting fake or deepfake advertisements featuring images of well-known political leaders and celebrities. They have advised citizens to remain vigilant about schemes promising unusually high returns in a short period and to avoid clicking on suspicious links circulating on social media.