Bhubaneswar: Branch of State Crime, Investigating the Hacking of the WHATSAPP Manoj Patnaik Account, Chief Executive Officer of Odisha Computer Application Center (OCAC), has freezed an account suspected of being a hacker and plans to send a team to Bengaluru for further investigation.
“Investigators have learned that the hackers operate from Bengaluru.
Crime branch officers, who spoke with one of the hackers using WhatsApp numbers (used to hack a Patnaik account), track locations to Bengaluru.
The hacker speaks in a different accent, perhaps a stranger .
Our team will travel to Bengaluru to capture hackers and collect more information and evidence connected with cyber crime, “said Director General (Crime) Sanjeeb Panda.
Cyber criminals take control of WhatsApp Patnaik numbers and send messages to close contact seeking financial assistance that are urgent for treatment.
The hackers have provided an account number to a close friend of the Patnaik which is stored around Rs 7 Lakh.
Patnaik found it when one of his friends called him to ask about his health and told him that he had saved money in his bank account.
“The hackers have transferred money to several accounts.
We have freezed all their accounts,” added Panda.
The source said the hacker spoke in African accents.
The crime branch suspects Nigerian gang or some foreign nationals can be involved in the crime.
The researchers also saw how Patnik fell into traps and modus operandi cyber criminals were adopted to access the WhatsApp number.
Cyber experts believe that OCAC CEOs may be unwittingly respond to calls or messages sent on the WhatsApp, thus giving access to hackers.
Electronics and IT departments, after hacking incidents, people who are sensitive about internet phishing on WhatsApp.