Cyber Culprits Digitally Fake Up ACC Officials to Extort Bribes

Cyber crimes have obtained a new dimension in the administrative arena of Bangladesh in recent times. Some culprits are using cyber tools for humbug and harassing ordinary people through digital platforms. Social media profiles belonging to government high-ups and top regulators are being cloned or faked up by racketeers to intimidate naïve people scaring them with false allegations with the vicious aim of extorting cash from the victims.

Facebook pages and mobile phone SIMs are reportedly ofen being cloned by cyber thugs for morally degenerated purposes. 

These cyber criminals make false Facebook pages using the photographs and cell phone numbers of powerful administrators, police officers, top bankers and Anti-Corruption functionaries and make phone calls to business leaders for the most part trying to get hold of huge sums of cash from the phone call recipients. A broad number of such allegations have been meanwhile reported to The Asian Age. The screenshot placed with this write-up shows a Facebook page belonging to ACC Director General Akhter Hossain, his picture and mobile phone number. The name of Anti-Corruption Commission Headquarters is also shown on this false Facebook page.

When contacted, ACC officials told reporters that they have received similar complaints too but they are not being able to carry out raids to catch these unauthorized cloners because of the current vulnerable and dilapidated law and order situation across Bangladesh. Taking advantage of these restless and ill-organized circumstances, criminals are violating statutory laws every now and then and now committing vices has become all the more facilitated due to the easy accessibility to social media. Hacking, online frauds, cyber bullying, virtual sex scams are happening on a much higher scale these days than ever before. However, when vital state organs like the Anti-Corruption Commission are penetrated and abused by cyber scammers, it terrifies everyone. Blackmailing common people using names and pictures of high-ups from government top brass or law and order forces has become a frequent digital ailment. Law enforcement authorities, intelligence divisions, cyber crime units of Police Department should take these allegations very seriously and should crack down hard on these gangsters.

Launching harassment and repression on honest entrepreneurs and famed business owners prevailed in Bangladesh for last many years but these offences rose at an unnatural speed after the regime change that happened in August 2024. A lot of false pictures and statements are hitting social media everyday to tarnish the image of reputed individuals like actors, actresses, politicians, business icons, intellectuals and so on. These things cannot be taken lightly. Another thing astonishes everyone which is how liars and fraudsters access social media so faster and upload fake materials! Questions certainly glare up about the role of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, Special Branch, espionage agencies etcetera.

It's more than essential to identify these detrimental entities who endanger people on false basis and extort money from their victims. The authorities concerned must jump into action quickly and examine allegations about cyber crime with exclusive focus. At the same time Anti-Corruption Commission needs to investigate thoroughly to check out whether anyone from inside ACC is connected with these vicious groups. Abusing power is a common offence in Bangladesh. Simultaneously, fraudulence and virtual hoaxes have become a monstrous way of flouting laws in the country. The government is under obligations to combat these cyber criminals with iron hands and subject these violators to stern punishments.