Goa CM’s Facebook account hacked

The hacker himself posed as Sawant and asked for money.

Panaji: A day before Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s old Facebook account was hacked, the hackers asked a social media user to send across money through Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payment mode.

Pramod Sawant said Friday that a police complaint had been filed in the matter, but the man targeted by the hackers, Pramesh Asolkar, said he is still in shock that the state Chief Minister’s social media account had been hacked into. A complaint has been registered and the cyber crime department has started investigation.

The hacker himself posed as Sawant and requested Asolkar to immediately send across Rs 30,000 which would be returned in two hours. “At nearly 9.30 p.m. on Thursday night, I received a friend request notification from ‘Pramod Sawant’. The profile had the Goa Chief Minister’s photo and lotus symbol of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). I was sure it was genuine,” Asolkar said.

It was only when the hacker asked him for money that Asolkar realised that something was amiss. “People need to be careful with their social media accounts, especially when the Chief Minister’s account itself has been hacked,” Asolkar said.

The Chief Minister also confirmed hacking of his old Facebook account. “My old Facebook account has been hacked. I have filed a complaint,” Pramod Sawant said.