Fraudster Using Development Commissioner’s Photo in WhatsApp Profile to Seek Financial Help from People

Bhubaneswar: A fraudster is allegedly using the photograph of senior IAS officer and Odisha Development Commissioner Pradeep Jena in a WhatsApp profile to seek financial help from the people.

Jena took to Twitter to caution the people about the fake WhatsApp account, supposedly meant to defraud the people.

“Someone using my photograph in the WhatsApp profile is sending WhatsApp messages to some people asking for financial help. I would like to inform all that the mobile number 7320937877 from which such messages are being sent doesn’t belong to me. It is a fake WhatsApp account set up in my name to possibly defraud people”, Jena said.

“You are hereby requested to not act on any such request for financial favours. I shall never request anyone for financial help. I hope, all my friends and all well wishers take note of this and in case they receive any such messages, may kindly inform police to act”, he added.

Pradeep Jen, who is also the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), has asked the Cyber Crime Police of the State Government to immediately take action to prevent such fraudulent WhatsApp messages.