Police constable’s 5-year-old son ‘accused’ in fake case:Burhanpur cop receives extortion call demanding ₹1.7 lakh; constable foils scam, warns public about cyber fraud

Burhanpur Traffic Police constable Ashish Tomar received a fraudulent WhatsApp call while on duty on Saturday. The caller, claiming to be an officer from Pune Police, threatened to implicate his son in a rape case and demanded ₹1.7 lakh to “save” him. Showing presence of mind, Constable Tomar immediately recognised the call as a scam, as his son is only five years old. This quick thinking prevented him from falling victim to the fraud. He then warned bystanders about such cyber scams and explained how criminals try to intimidate people to extort money. Through social media, Tomar advised the public not to panic at unknown calls, but to verify facts and inform the police immediately. Following the incident, the police department also urged citizens to stay alert against such fake calls and to avoid complying with any financial demands. Burhanpur cyber cell issues fresh alert after fake extortion call The Burhanpur district cyber cell has issued a fresh cyber security advisory, urging citizens to remain cautious amid a rise in online fraud and impersonation scams. The advisory clearly warns the public against clicking on suspicious emails, links, APK files or unknown mobile applications. People have also been advised never to share sensitive banking details, OTPs, passwords or UPI PINs with anyone, under any circumstances. The cyber cell has stressed that communication with banks, service providers or government agencies should be made only through official customer care numbers. In case of any online fraud, victims should immediately dial the national cyber crime helpline 1930 or lodge a complaint at www.cybercrime.gov.in. Officials emphasised that the first hour after a fraud — known as the Golden Hour — is crucial, as the chances of recovering the defrauded amount are significantly higher during this period. The public has been urged to stay alert, cautious and cyber secure. “I laughed because my children aren’t that old,” says constable Traffic department constable Ashish Tomar, who recently foiled an extortion attempt, shared details of the incident to spread awareness. “On Saturday afternoon, I was on challan duty on the Indore–Ichchapur highway when I received a call from mobile number 9921556568,” Tomar said. “The caller claimed my son was involved in a rape case in Pune. I initially laughed because my children aren’t that old. But I soon realised it was a fraud attempt.” Constable Tomar stopped a four-wheeler during checking, put the call on speaker mode, and allowed the passengers to hear the entire conversation to demonstrate how such scams operate. Fake IG photo raised suspicion Tomar said the caller’s WhatsApp profile displayed the photograph of an officer of Inspector General rank, which immediately raised suspicion. “IG-rank officers speak directly to the SP. They don’t call constables,” he said. “That confirmed it was a fake call.” The constable has a five-year-old son, Vikram Tomar, and a three-year-old daughter, Priyanka Tomar. He lives with his wife and children in Burhanpur, while his parents reside in Morena. How the extortion attempt unfolded During the conversation, the caller claimed Tomar’s “son” was arrested in a rape case and that the victim was on a ventilator in a private hospital, with expenses amounting to ₹1.70 lakh. To expose the fraud, Tomar played along briefly. When asked about his son, he said the child worked in an IT company in Pune. The caller then demanded an immediate payment, initially asking for ₹10,000 via PhonePe, followed by the remaining amount. “When I tried sending money, the name did not appear on the number provided,” Tomar said. “Another number was shared, claiming it belonged to a doctor, but a woman’s name appeared instead. A young man’s crying voice was also played in the background, and the caller used abusive language to create pressure.” The caller threatened to “send the child to jail” and questioned who would bear the hospital expenses if the payment was not made. Public alerted on the spot Constable Tomar said he used the incident to immediately educate people present at the spot. “I informed them about such fake calls and told them to contact the cyber crime helpline 1930 or the nearest police station in case of any fraud. Every police station has a help desk,” he said. Police officials have reiterated the appeal, urging citizens not to panic when faced with threatening calls, to verify facts, and to promptly report any suspected cyber fraud to prevent financial loss.