An audacious impersonation and financial fraud attempt targeted Congress legislators in Kerala, involving fraudsters posing as officials from Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi’s office. They allegedly offered ministerial berths and high-ranking positions in exchange for crores of rupees. D.S. Rajkumar, Private Secretary to Priyanka Gandhi, filed a formal complaint with the Kerala Police in response.
The scam was uncovered when Elathur MLA Vidya Balakrishnan received a WhatsApp call from someone claiming to be from Priyanka Gandhi’s office in New Delhi. The caller demanded Rs 3 crore for a ministerial berth in the upcoming Kerala Cabinet reshuffle and claimed to be calling from Delhi. Investigations revealed that the same phone number contacted Vadakara MP Shafi Parambil and Idukki MP Dean Kuriakose.
Following the incident, D.S. Rajkumar lodged a complaint with the Kerala Director General of Police and the Wayanad Superintendent of Police. The Kalpetta Cyber Police registered a case of impersonation based on the complaint, while the Kozhikode Cyber Cell initiated a parallel investigation prompted by Vidya Balakrishnan’s complaint.
Police suspect the fraudsters utilized advanced caller spoofing technology and mule accounts to hide their identities. The calls, believed to have originated from Delhi, are being traced by cyber investigators to identify the perpetrators. Vidya Balakrishnan confirmed the WhatsApp call and reported the matter to the police under the guidance of Congress leadership, refraining from disclosing further details to avoid hindering the ongoing investigation.
Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan responded humorously to the claim of an imminent Cabinet reshuffle, dismissing the offer of ministerial berths as absurd. The incident underscores the increasing sophistication of cyber-enabled impersonation scams, with fraudsters exploiting prominent political names to execute financial frauds. Investigators are scrutinizing digital evidence from the calls and plan to engage external agencies as the inquiry progresses.
