Daijiworld Media Network - Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad, Aug 21: A man posing as a senior police officer on social media was arrested in Gujarat’s Banaskantha on Thursday, exposing a growing trend of impersonation scams across the state. The accused had created multiple fake profiles using the name and photo of Banaskantha Superintendent of Police (SP) Akshayraj Makwana to extort money from unsuspecting victims.

The scam came to light when one of the fake accounts interacted with SP Makwana himself, triggering a probe. Police said the fraudster used the false identity to send friend requests and offer household items like furniture at cheap prices to lure targets, before asking for payment.

Authorities confirmed that several people were duped and lost money. SP Makwana has issued a public advisory urging citizens to be cautious, clarifying that no official would request money via social media.

This incident adds to a concerning rise in impersonation crimes in Gujarat. Recent cases include individuals posing as SOG officers with fake ID cards in Ahmedabad, a fake GST officer extorting money in Mehsana, and bogus central agency officials attempting to enter a district SP office using counterfeit documents.

In Junagadh, a man pretending to be a Deputy Superintendent of Police allegedly swindled over Rs 2 crore from job aspirants. In total, over 19 such cases involving fake identities of customs, CID, ED, NIA, and other agencies have surfaced across Gujarat in the past two years.

Police have urged the public to stay vigilant online and report suspicious activity immediately to the cybercrime cell. Investigations into this latest case are ongoing.