Guwahati: A con artist is shaking down small business owners in Dhubri. The suspect calls shopkeepers while claiming to be Anup Saikia, the new Officer-in-Charge of the Dhubri Sadar Police Station. The scammer uses the mobile number 8876842510 to strike fear into his targets. He threatens them with prison time unless they pay up.
Manoj Kumar Roy operates a pan shop near the State Bank of India in Ward No. 1. The caller told Roy that he was selling cannabis and demanded 3,000 rupees to make the charges go away. He ordered the victim to pay via an online QR code. Earlier, on Sunday evening, vendor Pritam Saha in Chowk Bazar received a similar demand.
The scam triggered widespread panic. Shopkeepers across town are now on high alert. Local trade groups are warning vendors to ignore the calls and hold onto their cash. These organizations began verifying the caller identity after reports flooded in. Authorities are expected to launch a formal investigation into the extortion ring. Trade groups stated, "Do not transfer money or comply with demands made by unidentified callers claiming to be police officials."
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