Archbishop of Bangalore Rev (Dr) Peter Machado.
Credit: DH File Photo
Bengaluru: A member of a congregation sent money to unknown people who allegedly impersonated the Archbishop of Bengaluru Most Rev Peter Machado.
DH learnt that the email impersonating Machado and seeking money was sent to several members of the 200-odd congregations in Bengaluru.
Sources close to the Archbishop said that the first email by msgr.machado@gmail.com was sent to a person in October 2023. However, the Archbishop’s office did not take action based on the police’s suggestion that it might have been a one-off mischievous incident and since the Archbishop’s official email was not hacked.
Nearly 20 days ago, many people in the congregations began receiving emails where the scamsters impersonating the Archbishop “sought donations for the upliftment of the poor, etc.”
In one such case, a person who engaged with the scamsters transferred some money at their behest.
“We are getting the transaction details of the money transferred and will shortly submit them to the police,” a source from the Archbishop’s office said. “Police had suggested we reach out to them in case the emails persisted. We have filed an official complaint.”
“We also learnt that the scamsters sent the email to Jyothi Seva Home for Blind Children claiming that the Archbishop would visit them,” he added. “We came to know about the persisting emails then.”
A case has been registered at the East Cyber Economic and Narcotics Crime (CEN) police station under Sections 66 (computer-related offences), 43 (penalty and compensation for damage to computer, computer system), 66C (punishment for identity theft) and 66D (punishment for cheating by personation by using computer resource) of the Information Technology (IT) Act following a complaint by J A Kanthraj, the Public Relations Officer and spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Bangalore.
Police sources suggested that the email originated from Tanzania and further investigations were underway.