The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) cautioned owners of industries and companies against falling for fraudsters impersonating officers of the board and demanding money.
The move comes in the backdrop of several cases being registered recently at police stations where fraudsters posing as APPCB officers have extorted money from industry owners. Police officials said that an inquiry is on into these cases and the fraudsters would be arrested soon.
Vivek Yadav, APPCB member secretary, said that it has come to their notice that some persons have been posing as officers of APPCB and contacting owners of industries across Andhra Pradesh and demanding money on various pretexts.
“The APPCB has already initiated criminal proceedings against such callers and a police inquiry is going on. The APPCB is not responsible for the transactions and consequences arising out of such fraudulent calls,” Mr. Yadav said.
“All industry/company owners and the public are advised to remain alert and vigilant and prevent themselves from being cheated and lodge a complaint immediately with the police in order to ensure action under the law. The owners of industries/companies can inform about such calls to the APPCB on 7993477763,” he said.
In one such instance, a man identified as Shankar Reddy called up some industrialists in Srikakulam and Guntur districts from the number 8008445437 and demanded money from them after claiming to be an APPCB official. He asked them to send money via Google Pay to 7093993736.
As soon as the information reached APPCB, a police complaint was lodged in Guntur and during the inquiry it emerged that the phone signal was traced to Kalloor village in Chittoor, and that the Google Pay account details were from Tirupati.