BENGALURU: By being alert after he received a call from a Bengaluru 'traffic cop' listing traffic violations on Thursday, the manager of a private firm saved himself from being duped of Rs 1,500. What is appalling is that the caller had misused the picture of a dead head constable to establish his credibility, when asked for identification.
S Sujith, a resident of Kengeri, received a call around 11 am from a certain Kumar Swamy, asking him to pay up for two traffic violations he had allegedly committed. He told TNIE, "I was fast asleep after completing the night shift, and the call startled me awake. The violations he mentioned are correct and are already depicted on the Bengaluru Traffic Police's official website. However, I sensed something fishy. The individual who identified himself as a traffic policeman spoke only in English, and I found that a bit strange." He was also sent pictures of his car violating rules, on WhatsApp.
The caller told Sujith he could pay up the sum quickly by using any UPI app, and shared a QR code. "I decided to pay up and scanned the QR code as this is quicker than visiting the website for fine payment. It had the words Bengaluru City Police below it. But the name it threw up on scanning was Rupali Mazumdar. It made me sense that something was amiss. I stopped the payment and asked him to send his identity card," he said. The caller then sent an ID card bearing the name Kumar Swamy (Civil Head Constable - 5921), with a photograph of a uniformed cop, complete with a cop's hat.
Sujith discussed the issue with his wife, who discussed it with her colleagues. "One of them went online and checked the credentials. He found that ID number 5921 and the photograph belonged to a head constable, Bhaktharam SY, who died on February 3, 2020 in Nandini Layout in a road accident. His picture was available on websites, and the imposter had used the dead man's photo to establish his credentials," the manager explained.
The imposter needs to be exposed completely, he added. "People who are gullible will end up losing bigger sums by falling prey to scamsters," Sujith insists.