A new wave of fraud has emerged where criminals impersonate personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to swindle unsuspecting individuals. The scammers create fake CISF identity cards and share photographs of themselves in uniform to gain victims' trust. This impersonation scam is being used primarily to dupe property owners and online buyers across India.
According to security sources, fraudsters obtain contact details of property owners from online rental platforms, posing as CISF sub-inspectors or constables who are being transferred and seeking accommodation. They share counterfeit CISF IDs along with fake Aadhaar and PAN cards to appear credible and ask for bank details under the pretext of transferring rent. Soon after, victims find unauthorized withdrawals from their bank accounts.
Another common modus operandi involves a fake CISF official named Aniket Vijay Verma, who posts ads on platforms like Facebook and OLX claiming to sell household items or vehicles due to an impending transfer. Buyers are tricked into making advance payments with promises of doorstep delivery, but the goods never arrive, leaving them defrauded.
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CISF Public Relations Officer Saroj Bhupendra cautions the public against falling for such scams. “Do not immediately trust someone showing a service ID card. Verify thoroughly and never make payments over phone or messages without meeting them,” Bhupendra said. The force also issued an advisory encouraging people to report suspicious activities to the National Cybercrime Helpline at 1930.
This scam has underscored how criminals leverage the trust associated with official identities like those of CISF personnel to carry out sophisticated frauds. Authorities urge citizens to stay vigilant and verify credentials independently to avoid becoming victims of such impersonation schemes.
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