Thiruvananthapuram, 16 July (H.S.): Congress leader, Thiruvananthapuram Corporation councillor and former MLA K S Sabarinadhan has revealed that he recently received a fraudulent WhatsApp call from scammers posing as officials from the office of All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge. The callers allegedly attempted to trick him into transferring money on the pretext of arranging hotel accommodation for Kharge's family.

Sabarinadhan said the call came late at night while he was watching a FIFA World Cup football match. After ignoring repeated calls initially, he eventually answered. The caller claimed that members of Kharge's family had arrived in Thiruvananthapuram and that rooms had been booked at Uday Samudra Hotel. However, the caller alleged that only two rooms had been confirmed and that payment for two additional rooms had to be made immediately.

According to Sabarinadhan, the WhatsApp caller identification displayed a name suggesting the call was from Kharge's personal assistant, making the attempt appear genuine at first glance. However, he quickly became suspicious and contacted the hotel directly. Hotel authorities informed him that no such situation existed and clarified that the booking had been made through the office of Congress MP K C Venugopal and not through the AICC president's office.

Sabarinadhan then contacted Venugopal's office, which confirmed that the call was a scam. Instead of disconnecting immediately, he continued speaking with the fraudsters to gather more information. During the conversation, the caller transferred the phone to another person claiming to be the hotel's general manager. The second caller insisted that an immediate payment of ₹15,000 was required to secure the remaining rooms.

Sabarinadhan asked the callers to send their payment details and later forwarded the information to Mallikarjun Kharge's office. He said the AICC president's office has since lodged a police complaint regarding the attempted fraud. The incident has once again highlighted the growing trend of cybercriminals impersonating prominent public figures and political offices to deceive unsuspecting victims.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman