Siliguri, 30th July: Councilors in various wards of Siliguri have become targets of a scam involving fraudulent messages demanding money, falsely using the photo of Mayor Gautam Deb. Complaints have been filed with both the cybercrime unit and local police.
Reports indicate that the fraudsters are using a WhatsApp number to send messages to councilors from Congress, CPI(M), BJP, and TMC. The scammers engage with the councilors and subsequently ask for money under various pretexts.
The issue was highlighted during a board meeting on Tuesday, where BJP Councilor Shalini Dalmia detailed the fraudulent activities. Multiple councilors confirmed experiencing the same scam.
Mayor Gautam Deb acknowledged the misuse of his photo for these extortion attempts. After learning of the scam, he immediately ensured complaints were lodged with the police and cybercrime authorities. The incident is now under investigation.