Jaypurhat resident falls victim to extortion scam by fake police officer

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A resident of Joypurhat’s Akkelpur municipality fell victim to a sophisticated extortion scam Tuesday night, after a fraudster posing as a police officer successfully coerced him into sending money via mobile banking.

Shahidur Rahman Kaviraj, a resident of the town’s West Railgate area, received a call at approximately 8:30 p.m. from an individual identifying himself as Sub-Inspector Firoz Hossain of the Akkelpur Police Station. The caller claimed that Shahidur’s son, Russell Kaviraj, had been detained alongside two others for alleged drug possession. To add urgency and credibility to the threat, the caller played audio resembling a police siren in the background and placed a crying person on the line who purportedly acted as the son, begging to be released.

Panicked by the prospect of legal repercussions, the father entered into negotiations with the caller. The scammer initially demanded 35,000 taka to secure the son’s release, but eventually agreed to accept a payment of 7,000 taka. Shahidur promptly transferred the funds to a provided mobile financial service account.

The deception became apparent moments after the transaction was completed. When Shahidur attempted to contact the number again, it had been disconnected. He then reached out to his son directly, only to discover that Russell was safe and near their home, completely unaware of the incident. A subsequent search of the caller’s number on the identification application Truecaller flagged the contact as a known police impersonator.

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The victim’s brother, Abdus Salam Kaviraj, noted that the family had never encountered such a scheme before and acted out of genuine concern for their relative’s well-being. The family plans to file a formal report with the police, providing the mobile numbers used by the fraudsters in hopes that authorities can track the perpetrators.

Sub-Inspector Ganesh Chandra of the Akkelpur Police Station confirmed that local law enforcement is aware of the incident. He cautioned the public against sending money to unknown parties based on unverified phone calls, emphasizing that official police business is not conducted through such informal financial transfers. Officials have urged victims of similar scams to file formal complaints immediately so that investigations can be initiated.