# Cyber Fraudsters Impersonate Delhi District Judge on WhatsApp to Target Lawyers, Police File FIR > Scammers used the profile picture of a principal district and sessions judge to demand money from Delhi advocates, but an alert lawyer exposed the scam by verifying it directly in court. **Type:** article · **Category:** Crime · **Published:** 2026-09-02 · **Source:** TrendKia **Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/crime/whatsapp-par-delhi-ke-district-judge-bankar-cyber-thagon-ne-maangi-vittiya-madad-vakeelon-ki-satarkta-se-darj-hui-fir-26238 · **Language:** English **Tags:** Delhi Police, Cyber Crime, Tis Hazari Court, WhatsApp Scam, Gaganpreet Singh, Vijay Kumar Dahiya A sophisticated cyber fraud attempt targeting members of the legal fraternity in the national capital has been exposed after swindlers created fake WhatsApp profiles using the photograph of a senior judicial officer. The perpetrators impersonated Principal District and Sessions Judge, West, Vijay Kumar Dahiya, sending targeted messages to several lawyers to demand emergency financial assistance. The fraudulent scheme was foiled when an alert senior lawyer verified the claims in person inside the courtroom, prompting law enforcement agencies to register a First Information Report (FIR) and launch a probe into the scam. ## Deceptive Messaging Campaign Targets Tis Hazari Advocates The fraudulent operation commenced on 24 August when 39-year-old advocate Gaganpreet Singh, who serves as a Senior Member Executive of the Delhi Bar Association, received an unexpected message on WhatsApp from an unlisted telephone number. The sender initiated contact with a casual query asking about his location and well-being, stating that the message was being sent from a new contact number. The profile associated with the number displayed the official portrait of Principal District and Sessions Judge Vijay Kumar Dahiya, leading the recipient to initially assume that a senior district court judge was communicating with him. Singh engaged in brief preliminary conversation due to the official profile picture displayed on the application. However, the interaction took a suspicious turn when the person on the other end claimed to be currently residing in Thailand and urgently solicited monetary transfers under the guise of an emergency. Recognizing that a sitting judicial officer would not request personal financial favors over instant messaging applications, the advocate refrained from sending any funds and resolved to investigate the matter directly. ## Direct Verification inside the Courtroom Uncovers Fraud Determined to establish the truth, Singh proceeded directly to the official courtroom of Judge Vijay Kumar Dahiya at the Tis Hazari Court complex. To his astonishment, he found the judge physically present on the bench, actively conducting routine judicial proceedings. Upon being informed of the WhatsApp messages and shown the chat records, Judge Dahiya categorically denied being in Thailand or soliciting money from any individual. The judicial officer expressed deep concern over the unauthorized utilization of his official photograph and identity to deceive members of the bar. Subsequent inquiries made by Singh across the legal fraternity revealed that the fraudulent attempt was not an isolated incident. Scammers had dispatched similar deceptive messages requesting emergency funds to several active and former executive members of the Delhi Bar Association. Explaining the collective reaction of the legal community, Singh pointed out that while lawyers responded initially because of the judge's display picture, the immediate demand for money alerted everyone to the ongoing scam. ## Cyber Cell Registers FIR as Police Trace Perpetrators To prevent potential financial loss among fellow advocates, Singh compiled the relevant WhatsApp chat transcripts, phone numbers, and profile screenshots and submitted them to the Cyber Cell and the Sabzi Mandi Police Station. Following a preliminary assessment of the digital evidence, law enforcement officials registered a formal FIR on 26 August to initiate criminal proceedings against the unidentified fraudsters. The FIR specifically records that impersonating the Principal District and Sessions Judge, West, on social media platforms to seek money under the pretext of emergency assistance poses a grave challenge to the credibility and integrity of the judicial system. Police authorities are currently analyzing digital footprints, call detail records, and banking channels linked to the fraudulent number. Although active investigative efforts are underway to trace the network behind the crime, no arrests have been made in the case thus far. ## What this means for you This incident highlights how cyber fraudsters are increasingly misusing the identities of senior officials to breach public trust. - **Across India:** Citizens must never blindly trust financial requests arriving from unfamiliar numbers on messaging apps. Always verify the identity of the sender through a secondary channel before transferring any funds. - **In Delhi:** Advocates and staff operating around court complexes should immediately report suspicious messages impersonating judicial figures to local authorities. Delhi Police has urged legal professionals to remain vigilant against impersonation tactics. - **Emergency Fund Demands:** Be extremely cautious when a sender claims to be stranded abroad or facing an urgent crisis requiring instant money transfers. Verify bank account details and avoid executing quick online payments to unverified accounts. - **Profile Picture Authenticity:** A display picture featuring a prominent official does not guarantee the genuine identity of the account holder. Fraudsters frequently harvest public photographs to set up deceptive accounts for financial scams. ## Questions & Answers ### 1. Which official's identity was misused to target lawyers in Delhi? Scammers created a fake WhatsApp profile using the photograph and name of Principal District and Sessions Judge, West, Vijay Kumar Dahiya. ### 2. Which lawyer exposed this cyber fraud attempt? Gaganpreet Singh, a senior advocate and Senior Member Executive of the Delhi Bar Association, foiled the scam through prompt verification. ### 3. What claim did the fraudster make in the WhatsApp message? The sender claimed to be traveling in Thailand and requested urgent monetary assistance under the guise of an emergency. ### 4. How did lawyer Gaganpreet Singh uncover the fraud? Suspicious of the money request, the lawyer went directly to the judge's courtroom, where Judge Dahiya was presiding and denied requesting any funds. ### 5. What action have the police taken in this case? Following a complaint with screenshots, an FIR was registered on 26 August by the police, and a technical investigation is underway. --- _TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.. Machine-readable view; canonical HTML at the URL above._