Blue Dart Spoof Call Leads to Major WhatsApp Hack: GU Professor Targeted by International Fraud Ring

A fresh case of cyber fraud has been reported after the WhatsApp account of Gauhati University professor Dr. Akhil Ranjan Dutta was hacked, prompting scammers to send money-demand messages to several people in his contact list.

The incident began when Dr. Dutta, who was attending an event on the university campus, received a call that appeared to be from Blue Dart, as identified by Truecaller. The caller claimed that a parcel was on its way to him and provided a “special number” to contact the delivery agent.

Speaking to the media, Dr. Dutta detailed how the scam unfolded. “I received a call from Blue Dart, and Truecaller also showed it as Blue Dart. The caller, speaking in Hindi, said a parcel would be delivered to me and shared another number of the person who would bring the parcel. The number looked unusual—*21*8981142267# repeated three times. Initially, I thought it was shared by mistake, so I copied only the main 10-digit number and tried calling, but it was busy,” he said.

“Then another call came asking me to dial the full number exactly as shared. I dialed it, but the call didn’t connect. Meanwhile, a colleague noticed and alerted me that it might be a scam. I immediately went to my bank and shared everything. That’s when I found out my calls were diverted—anyone calling me wasn’t reaching my phone,” he added.

After stopping the call diversion from his handset, Dr. Dutta discovered that fraudsters had already accessed his WhatsApp and begun messaging people in his name, asking for amounts like ₹30,000, ₹45,000, and ₹55,000.

“I am being victimized for the second time,” Dr. Dutta said with concern. “This entire operation now appears to be run by a group of Nigerians. Another colleague of mine has also fallen victim. Many people called me asking if I was in trouble after receiving those messages, which I had no idea were being sent. I have informed the Assam Police’s Crime Branch. They told me it might take time to crack the case. I am worried because more messages might still go out in my name.”

The Assam Police have initiated an investigation into the cybercrime, which is suspected to be part of a larger international fraud network. Police have urged the public to stay alert against suspicious calls and to verify any unusual money requests, even if they appear to come from trusted contacts.

Also Read: Assam: Pithani Brothers Accused in Guwahati City Centre Mall Fraud Scandal