TGSRTC MD VC Sajjanar asked the public, parents of girl children in particular, to beware of WhatsApp calls stating that their children have been kidnapped.
Cyber criminals are threatening parents of girl children, going to schools and colleges, stating that they have been kidnapped and asking them to transfer the demanded money. Else, they are threatening to kill the girls, he said.
Taking to X.com, Sajjanar said that cyber criminals called up the parents of a girl student in Rayadurg in Hyderabad on a foreign phone number and demanded that they transfer the money asked by them. If the demanded money is not transferred to them, the cyber criminals threatened to kill the girl, Sajjanar said.
The cyber criminals even sent a sobbing voice stating that their daughter was crying.
On hearing to the painful voice, the parents believed that their daughter, who had gone to the college, was kidnapped and got ready to transfer the money to the kidnappers.
However, the alert parents alerted one of their relatives about their daughter even while speaking to the criminals on another line.
When their kin informed them that their daughter was safe at the college, they heaved a sigh of relief.
The parents lodged a complaint with the police about the cyber criminals.
Sajjanar said that such calls were on the rise in both the Telugu states in the recent days and the gullible parents are sending money to the kidnappers, believing that their daughters are in danger.
He exhorted parents of girl children not to believe in WhatsApp calls from foreign numbers and also not respond to the kidnapping threats.
Immediately, contact the police and seek their help, he added.