Men held for cheating over 100 people impersonating 'high-profile' individuals
New Delhi (PTI): Two men were arrested for allegedly impersonating high-profile people by using their picture as WhatsApp DP and taking money from the impersonated men's relatives and friends, police said on Saturday.
The accused, 19-year-old Javed Khan and 23-year-old Amit Kumar, used pictures of high-profile people from social media, and cheated more than 100 people in the last one year alone, they said. The two were arrested from Alwar in Rajasthan.
According to the police, Khan and Kumar opened several bank accounts using the documents of people known to them and received the money in those accounts.
The matter came to light in January, when a victim approached police saying that someone was using his photograph on WhatsApp as a 'display picture' and was asking for money from his relatives and friends.
During the investigation, it was found that the mobile number used by the frauds was also linked to another matter in which the accused had projected himself as an army officer and cheated about Rs 47,000 offering to sell an old vehicle on OLX website, a senior police officer said.
The cheated amount was transferred to a bank account in Alwar, Rajasthan, Jitendra Kumar Meena, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest) said.
Police first nabbed Amit Kumar, who during interrogation, revealed that he lent his bank account to receive the defrauded money and was paid a commission on it.
At his instance, police nabbed Javed Khan, the main accused, who confessed to masterminded the scam.
"He ... disclosed that he searched Facebook accounts of high-profile educated professionals and downloaded their photographs to use them on WhatsApp and demand money from their relatives and friends," the DCP said.
Two mobile phones used in the commission of the crimes were seized by police.
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Trump rushed out of dinner event after shots fired; one arrested
Washington (PTI): US President Donald Trump and other top White House officials were evacuated unharmed from the annual dinner of White House correspondents after a man armed with multiple weapons fired shots outside the ballroom of the hotel.
The incident took place at around 8:34 PM local time when dinner was served. At that time, Trump was seen having a conversation with Weijia Jiang, the President of the White House Correspondents' Association, and mentalist Oz Pearlman, who was scheduled to present a show at the marquee event at the Washington Hilton here.
Secret Service officials and other security personnel covered the President, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President J D Vance, and the Second Lady Usha Vance, who were seated at the head table, and escorted them out of the ballroom.
Several guests at the dinner, including leaders across the political spectrum, journalists and other invitees, ducked under the table, apparently as a reflex reaction.
Putting up a brave face, President Trump later announced on Truth Social that the dinner would be rescheduled within 30 days.
“Boom, boom, boom, boom is all that I heard, and many guests ducked under the table,” a C-SPAN reporter at the dinner said.
Hours later, Trump addressed a press conference at the White House and announced that the security personnel had captured one person who hails from California.
“I heard a noise and sort of thought it was a tray going down. I've heard that many times. It was a pretty loud noise, and it was from quite far away. He (the attacker) hadn't reached the area at all. They really got him,” Trump told reporters, recalling the incident.
Trump said one security officer was shot at but saved as he was wearing a bulletproof vest.
Several protestors had lined up on the road outside the hotel, raising slogans against the Trump administration and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
A CNN reporter who was outside the ballroom at the Washington Hilton said he saw a gunman opening fire just a few feet away. He was among the dozens of attendees who took cover as law enforcement swarmed the venue.
The suspect has been identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen from California.
Asked how Saturday’s incident impacts him as the US president, Trump told reporters he is in a dangerous job but that he is no “basket case.”
“I like not to think about it. I lead a pretty normal life, considering, you know, it’s a dangerous life. I think I handle it as well as it can be handled,” Trump said.
Trump has survived two assassination attempts over the past two years – first at a presidential election campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024, and later in Palm Beach, Florida, on September 15, 2024.
“I will say you had Republicans, Democrats, independents, conservatives, liberals, and progressives...everybody in that room, big crowd, record-setting crowd,” he said.
“We had some great work done by law enforcement, but in light of this evening's events, I ask that all Americans recommit with their hearts in resolving our differences peacefully,” Trump said.
