The IAS officer transferred the money but the caller said he received no payment. (Representational Image)
Lokesh Kumar Jangid (35), who is posted in Bhopal, came across a WhatsApp contact number while searching for a wine shop on the internet on July 11, according to his complaint.
An IAS officer was allegedly duped for Rs 34,000 while trying to buy liquor online, city police said on Friday. One person has been arrested in this connection, a senior police officer said.
Lokesh Kumar Jangid (35), who is posted in Bhopal, came across a WhatsApp contact number while searching for a wine shop on the internet on July 11, according to his complaint.
Jangid contacted the number after which he received a call. The caller said he was an employee of a liquor store, and Jangid would need to pay Rs 8,500 through UPI mode for the liquor he wanted to purchase.
The IAS officer transferred the money but the caller said he received no payment.
The caller then asked him for his UPI QR code for payment and withdrew Rs 17,000 from his bank account.
Even after this, he maintained that he had not received the money. At this point Jangid realized that this was a fraud, the complaint said.
After he lodged a complaint with the crime branch, the key accused was tracked down and arrested earlier this week, the police officer said.
Police were looking for two more persons for whom the arrested man allegedly worked, the official said.
