PANAJI: Cyber fraudsters have once again targeted Goa cabinet Ministers Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho , Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik, Mandrem MLA Jeet Arolkar and Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral on their list.
Police complaints filed by the two ministers stated that unknown miscreants have impersonated them and used their pictures on WhatsApp DP to trick people into sending them money.
Godinho and Naik have urged people to fall prey to these tactics and report the matter to the police.
One person received a message from an unknown impersonating Naik. The message said, “Hello Mandar, how are you and where are you at?”
Whereas Godinho stated that some of his contacts received WhatsApp messages requesting money.
"I have learnt that someone is using my name and picture on WhatsApp to ask for money through an Amazon Pay E-Gift Card. This message is fake and I strongly condemn these harmful actions," he stated.
Even Mandrem MLA Jeet Arolkar and Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral on their list.
In 2022, the then Cyber Crime Cell team had arrested one Sayyad Izaz for impersonating Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on a WhatsApp number and contacting some politicians and others until his arrest in Aurangabad.
In 2021, Sawant had alerted people to stay away from cyber fraud while revealing how he almost fell for a voice phishing scam, when an unknown caller almost made him reveal his Aadhaar card number, claiming that his bank account would be frozen if the detail was not furnished immediately.
