Techie Creates Over 50 Fake Profile Including Smriti Irani on FB, Held By Vadodara Police

Vadodara Police has arrested a man from Delhi for allegedly creating a fake Facebook profile of City Police Commissioner Shamsher Singh. The accused had made over 50 fake accounts of influential people, including Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani.

Investigating officials said that an IT specialist, Yogesh Sharma, was behind creating several fake accounts on social media platforms to dupe people and mint money.

Shamsher Singh said Sharma had about 50 photographs and screenshots of some prominent people’s fake Facebook profiles on his computer. Vadodara cyber-crime cell nabbed Sharma from Delhi, who had a Bachelors of Computer Application (BCA) degree.

On examining his cell phone, police found that it had images of Jammu & Kashmir senior Congress leader Salman Nizami’s fake Facebook account, along with some other politicians, media personnel, and police officers from across the country.

He targeted influential people, celebrities and siphoned money online from their families and friends. He was involved in cybercrime for over the past three to four years. “Fake FB profiles of Pakistan-based Shaukat Javed, Parminder Singh, director of sports, Punjab University, and IPS officer Anshu Singla from Delhi were also found from Sharma’s phone. He deleted some pictures, but we have recovered them,” said Hardik Makadia, ACP, (crime).

Sharma used to create fake profiles of well-known individuals on Facebook and then contact their online connections and ask for money. The 25-year-old had an associate who helped him to move the money using his bank account. Police are trying to ascertain his role in the crime.