Maharashtra: Addl SP Lodges Complaint After Fake Facebook Profile Surfaces

Mumbai: The police are on the lookout for an unknown person for allegedly creating a bogus Facebook account of Additional Superintendent of Police (Addl SP), Sunil Lanjewar. The cyber crime police has launched an investigation into the said case to ascertain who had created the said profile.

According to the police, complainant Addl SP Lanjewar is currently posted at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Rural. In his complaint, Lanjewar stated that he uses WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram and other social media apps on his mobile number.

In his complaint, Lanjewar has stated that he has a Facebook account in the name of Sunil Lanjewar which he uses regularly and he has more than 4000 Facebook friends on his Facebook account including his acquaintances and some strangers.

On 29/05/2024, around 10 am, when Addl SP Lanjewar had went to Chikalthana Police Station at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, he was informed by police constable Yogesh Tarmale over the phone that another account similar to his Facebook account is appearing on Facebook.

Lanjewar then asked constable Tarmale to forward him the link of that Facebook account and when he checked that account, he realised that it was a fake Facebook account opened with the name Sunil Lanjewar Dysp SD using his photograph from his original Facebook account.

Having realised that someone had created a fake Facebook profile of his, Lanjewar got an offence registered in the matter the same day. The police have registered a case under section 66C (identity theft) of the Information Technology Act.

Last year, a cyber fraudster had created a fake Facebook profile of IPS officer Vishwas Nangre-Patil and in August 2022, an unknown fraudster had impersonated Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar using a WhatsApp number and demanded money and Amazon Gift cards from some people. A case was registered at the LT Marg police station in the matter.