DoT warns people of scammers posing as MS Dhoni

Former India cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni or MS Dhoni as he is more popularly known is an inspirational figure for many. It doesn’t take long for people to be follow anything he say. With the growing number of scams being reported in India daily through different methods including the police and celebrities, scammers are now using MS Dhoni to make money.

Amid the ongoing cricket fever in the country, scamsters have been posing as Mahendra Singh Dhoni to con people on social media, the Department of Telecom (DoT) said on Friday, warning people against falling into the trap.

The DoT in a post on X, alerted that scamsters are posing as the popular batsman and former Indian cricket team captain, and asking for money on Instagram.

“Hi, I am MS Dhoni, messaging you from my private account. I am currently in the outskirts of Ranchi and I have forgotten my wallet. Could you please transfer ₹600 via PhonePe so I can return home by bus? I will send the money back once I am home,” read the Instagram message’s screenshot shared by DoT.

The message also included Dhoni’s “selfie” for “proof”.

“Beware of scammers trying to bowl you out! If anyone claims to be the legendary @msdhoni seeking bus tickets, it’s a googly you don’t want to catch,” the DoT said, sharing the viral post on X that has so far garnered 332.1K views.

“Report them faster than @msdhoni’s stumpings on Chakshu at #SancharSaathi,” it added.

DoT’s Sanchar Saathi portal is a web portal aimed to help Indian mobile users track and block lost smartphones and identity theft, forged KYC, using the CEIR module. Mid Day