Rajasthan teen held in Hyderabad for posing as IAS, IPS officers on social media
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police have arrested a 19-year-old man from Bahadurpur Patti Meeran village in Alwar district, Rajasthan, for impersonating senior government officials and committing online fraud.
The accused, identified as Arbaj Khan, son of Jafaru Khan, a resident of Jogi Mohalla, Ramgarh Road, Bahadurpur Patti Meeran, was arrested in connection with Crime No. 872/2025, registered under Sections 66C, 66D of the IT Act, and Sections 318(4), 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
According to the Cyber Crime Unit, Arbaj Khan created multiple fake Facebook profiles using the name and photographs of a senior bureaucrat. These accounts were used to send friend requests and request money from the victim’s contacts. Posing as a CRPF officer and other senior officials, he also sent inappropriate and misleading messages, damaging reputations and misleading the public.
The complaint was lodged on May 12, 2025, by the bureaucrat, who reported the misuse of his identity on social media. Investigations revealed that Arbaj Khan was running similar scams using fake WhatsApp and Facebook accounts, targeting colleagues and contacts of IAS and IPS officers to extort money. The police have seized one mobile phone used in the commission of the crime.
Arbaj Khan is also linked to another case in Telangana, registered at Alwal Police Station under Crime No. 401/2025, involving similar charges under Section 318(4) of BNS and Section 66C of the IT Act.
The arrest was made by a team led by Inspector N. Ramu, along with SI T. Vinay Kumar, SI G. Ambica, SI Y. Srinivas Rao, HC S. Ravi Kumar (8775), PC B. Naresh (8008), PC S. Nishanth (5628), PC M. Sammaiah (30161), and PC T. Bhagya (11147) from the Cyber Crime Police Station, Hyderabad.
Public Advisory:
The public is urged to be cautious and avoid responding to suspicious friend requests or messages on social media, especially those claiming to be from senior government officials. Always verify identities through official channels before transferring money. Victims of cyber fraud can report incidents by dialing 1930 or visiting https://cybercrime.gov.in.
