Upa Lokayukta Justice Targeted in Suspected Cyber Extortion Attempt

swift Summary

• The Central Division Cybercrime Police registered a case against two unidentified individuals accused of cyber fraud.
• The suspects impersonated legal consultants from the Data Protection Board of India and allegedly attempted to intimidate Upa Lokayukta Justice K.N. Phaneendra with a fake legal case, possibly as part of an extortion bid.
• The accused claimed Justice Phaneendra’s Aadhaar card was linked to illegal phone activity during their conversation on July 9.
• Justice Phaneendra identified the call as fraudulent, asked for formal documentation/legal notice, reprimanded the callers, and filed a complaint with details including their phone number.
• The police charged the alleged fraudsters under sections 66 (D) and section 84 (C) of the Facts Technology Act, 2000; an inquiry is underway.
• Notably, this is one of few instances where an FIR has been filed in a cybercrime case even though no monetary loss occurred.

Indian Opinion analysis

The reported incident underscores growing challenges in curbing cyber fraud in India amid increasing digital connectivity. By targeting prominent figures like Upa Lokayukta Justice K.N. Phaneendra and exploiting official-sounding identities such as “Data Protection Board,” criminals demonstrate elegant tactics aimed at intimidation or extortion.From a policy perspective, this rare FIR without actual financial loss signals commendable vigilance by authorities in combating emerging forms of cybercrime-a step that could inspire more victims to report similar cases irrespective of monetary impact.

With India’s expanding digitization efforts tied closely to initiatives like linking Aadhaar with various services and mobile numbers, incidents like these may prompt calls for robust cybersecurity measures alongside public awareness campaigns guarding against fraudulent misuse.Read More: Link