Two persons were arrested for allegedly impersonating officials of the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) and cheating citizens here, police said on Friday.
Mohd Shabiq and Mohd Zaffar, both residents of Bantalab, are accused of posing as JMC officials and cheating people by making deceptive claims related to official municipal procedures for house construction, a police official said.
The official said the accused by misrepresenting their identity have induced aggrieved persons to transfer money through online transactions and cash on the pretext of document preparation.
Based on a complaint received at police station Domana, the police conducted verification with the JMC, confirming that the accused were not affiliated with the corporation in any capacity, thereby establishing the fraudulent nature of the transactions.
Accordingly, an FIR under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered on Wednesday and both the accused were tracked and arrested within 48 hours, the official said, adding police also recovered money which had been taken from the aggrieved persons.
Further investigation is underway to ascertain their wider linkages and to uncover the complete nexus of the racket, the official said, adding more arrests are likely in the case.
The police advised people to remain vigilant and to verify the credentials of anyone claiming to be a government official before making any payments or sharing personal or financial information.