Judge Falls Victim to Cyber Fraud: Messaging App Exploited in Rs 1.10 Lakh Scam

An additional sessions judge fell victim to cyber criminals who took control of his messaging app for six hours, duping his friends of Rs 1.10 lakh. The judge has filed a police complaint and requested a probe into the inactivity of the messaging platform and the mobile service provider's negligence.

An additional sessions judge has reported a cyber fraud incident in which criminals hijacked his messaging application for nearly six hours. Using the compromised account, the criminals managed to dupe his friends of Rs 1.10 lakh.

The judge, based in Rohini district court, has demanded an investigation into why neither the messaging platform nor his mobile service provider intervened. The incident was registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 318(4) and 319(2), pertaining to cheating and impersonation.

The judge revealed in his complaint that he received a deceptive call on July 11, claiming to be from a courier service, which led him to contact a fraudulent number. This action allowed criminals to register his messaging account on another device, initiating the scam. The authorities traced the hacking activity to locations in Bihar and Jharkhand. The judge criticized the delay in response from the messaging service and the lack of safeguards from his mobile network provider, stressing the need for a thorough probe.

(With inputs from agencies.)