Police on Tuesday urged people to remain alert against fraudsters impersonating police and other government officials on social media platforms to extort money and influence official matters.
In a statement, Police Headquarters said it has recently received several complaints that fraudsters have been using the names and photographs of senior police officers and other government officials to send messages through social media, seeking money and making various recommendations or requests in the names of those officials.
The statement said such fraudulent activities are not only causing financial losses to individuals but also damaging the image and reputation of government institutions and responsible public officials.
Police Headquarters cautioned that the use of a government official's photograph on a social media profile does not necessarily mean that the associated mobile number or account belongs to the person concerned.
It advised people not to respond to such suspicious messages and to remain cautious about any request for money, personal information or other favours made through social media accounts.
Anyone receiving such fraudulent messages has been requested to contact the National Emergency Service by dialling 999 or report the matter to the Cyber Police Centre of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) or the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
Police Headquarters said Bangladesh Police remains vigilant against such criminal activities and is committed to taking legal action against those involved in fraud and impersonation.