Morbi Cyber Scam Exploits School Impersonation to Target Parents

Leave a Comment / Cybersecurity, Data Protection, Enterprise Technology, Industry News / By cxojunction

As cybercriminals continue to exploit human trust, impersonation-based scams are becoming an increasingly effective method of compromising digital accounts. A recent cyber fraud case in Morbi highlights how attackers posing as school officials allegedly used social engineering to hijack social media accounts before carrying out financial fraud and extortion.

The attackers allegedly targeted the family of Bhavesh Patel, a 34-year-old tiles manufacturing unit owner, by impersonating a school administrator. According to the complaint filed with the Morbi City Cybercrime Police, they convinced Patel’s wife to share a One-Time Password (OTP), enabling them to gain unauthorised access to her WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram accounts. The police have registered an FIR under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act against users of two mobile numbers.

After compromising the accounts, the attackers allegedly used Patel’s wife’s WhatsApp profile to send urgent messages to relatives, claiming money was required for a parcel delivery or the treatment of a hospitalised patient. Trusting the requests, two relatives reportedly transferred a total of ₹30,000 to the accused, demonstrating how compromised digital identities can be exploited to deceive trusted contacts.

The attack later escalated beyond social accounts hacking and financial fraud. According to the FIR, the accused allegedly contacted Patel’s business partner and demanded ₹10 lakh while issuing death threats if the payment was not made. The case has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act against users of two mobile numbers.

During the preliminary investigation, police found that the attackers were allegedly targeting WhatsApp groups of parents associated with schools and tuition classes across Morbi. By posing as school management or principals, they obtained OTPs, hijacked social media accounts and later sought money from victims’ contacts under various pretexts, including school fee payments. Investigators also identified similar attempts targeting WhatsApp groups linked to the beauty parlour sector and are analysing mobile numbers and digital transaction records to identify those responsible.

For organisations and individuals, it reinforces the importance of identity verification, user awareness and strong authentication controls. As attackers increasingly weaponise compromised digital identities, strengthening cyber hygiene and protecting user accounts remain essential to reducing the risk of financial fraud and broader cyber threats.

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Source: Morbi cyber scam targets parents by posing as school officials | THE MAINSTREAM | Morbi cyber scam targets parents by posing as school officials The Mainstream