Cybercriminals in Gujarat’s Morbi have allegedly adopted a new tactic by exploiting an official school WhatsApp group to carry out financial fraud and digital extortion. According to police, the fraudsters hacked the WhatsApp account of a woman associated with a private school’s official group, cheated her relatives of ₹30,000, and later allegedly demanded ₹10 lakh from one of her acquaintances while threatening to kill him if the money was not paid.
According to the complaint filed with the police, Shilpaben, wife of Morbi resident Bhaveshbhai Harshadbhai Pachotiya, was a member of a private school’s official WhatsApp group. Between June 20 and June 29, an unidentified caller allegedly introduced himself as a representative of the school administration. Under the pretext of updating and verifying the WhatsApp group, he persuaded her to share a One-Time Password (OTP), enabling the fraudsters to take control of her WhatsApp account.
After gaining access to the account, the cybercriminals sent messages to the woman’s relatives and acquaintances claiming that she was facing a medical emergency and urgently needed financial assistance. Believing the request to be genuine, her brother and brother-in-law transferred ₹30,000 to the bank account specified by the fraudsters.
The accused later allegedly contacted one of the woman’s acquaintances by phone and demanded ₹10 lakh as extortion. According to the complaint, the caller threatened to kill him if the money was not paid. Following the incident, the victim’s family approached the cybercrime police, who registered a case and launched an investigation.
Police are collecting technical evidence, including call detail records of the suspected mobile numbers, WhatsApp login history and IP address data. Investigators are also tracing the bank account and UPI ID that received the ₹30,000 to determine where the money was subsequently transferred. If the digital trail extends to another state, the investigation will be carried out in coordination with the cybercrime agencies of the concerned states.
Renowned cybercrime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh said that people should never share an OTP with anyone, regardless of whether the caller claims to represent a school, bank, government department or any reputed organisation. He advised users to enable WhatsApp’s two-step verification feature, remain cautious of suspicious calls and messages, and independently verify any request for financial assistance before transferring money.
Police have urged citizens to remain vigilant against verification calls claiming to be from schools, banks or other institutions, never disclose OTPs without verification, and immediately report any suspicious activity to the cybercrime authorities. The investigation is ongoing.
