PANAJI
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant's Gmail account was allegedly hacked on Saturday, prompting the Cyber Crime Cell to initiate a swift inquiry. The account was restored within 4-5 hours and preliminary findings indicated no visible damage. The Cyber police are probing whether the hackers sent any emails, accessed official or personal communication, or engaged in other illegal activities.
“We were informed about the incident and immediately began an inquiry. The email has been restored and all measures are being taken to ensure the security of the account as well as to rule out any misuse,” an official told The Goan. CM’s Gmail account is linked to YouTube and other social media platforms.
This incident comes over three years after CM’s Facebook account was allegedly hacked in July 2021, and the hackers sent messages to contacts seeking financial assistance for medical emergencies.
Facebook user Pramesh Asolkar shared on the platform that a hacker, impersonating Sawant, requested a loan of Rs 30,000 and promised repayment within two hours. This triggered an investigation that, two months later, led to the arrest of Mohammed Sakir Husain, a Mathura resident in a joint operation by Goa and Haryana Police.
In the same year in November 2021, CM Sawant revealed how he almost fell for a voice phishing scam. An unknown caller asked him for his Aadhaar card number, claiming his bank account would be frozen if the detail was not furnished but he refused.
