Men held for cheating over 100 people impersonating 'high-profile' individuals

Two men were arrested for allegedly impersonating high-profile people by using their picture as WhatsApp DP and taking money from the impersonated men's relatives and friends, police said on Saturday.

The accused, 19-year-old Javed Khan and 23-year-old Amit Kumar, used pictures of high-profile people from social media, and cheated more than 100 people in the last one year alone, they said. The two were arrested from Alwar in Rajasthan.

According to the police, Khan and Kumar opened several bank accounts using the documents of people known to them and received the money in those accounts.

The matter came to light in January, when a victim approached police saying that someone was using his photograph on WhatsApp as a 'display picture' and was asking for money from his relatives and friends.

During the investigation, it was found that the mobile number used by the frauds was also linked to another matter in which the accused had projected himself as an army officer and cheated about Rs 47,000 offering to sell an old vehicle on OLX website, a senior police officer said.

The cheated amount was transferred to a bank account in Alwar, Rajasthan, Jitendra Kumar Meena, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest) said.

Police first nabbed Amit Kumar, who during interrogation, revealed that he lent his bank account to receive the defrauded money and was paid a commission on it.

At his instance, police nabbed Javed Khan, the main accused, who confessed to masterminded the scam.

"He ... disclosed that he searched Facebook accounts of high-profile educated professionals and downloaded their photographs to use them on WhatsApp and demand money from their relatives and friends," the DCP said.

Two mobile phones used in the commission of the crimes were seized by police.