Two individuals from Ghaziabad district in Uttar Pradesh have been apprehended by the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch for their involvement in an interstate cyber fraud scheme. The fraudsters posed as senior officials from the Ministry of Finance, National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), and other agencies. The victim was duped of approximately Rs 47.36 lakh in this elaborate scam.
The accused utilized various false identities, including those of NPCI Senior Officer Jitendra Goswami, NPCI officer Pravinaben, and Ministry official Miteshkumar, to deceive the complainant. They falsely claimed that a substantial amount from an LIC policy had been transferred to a government account and could be retrieved. Subsequently, the fraudsters coerced the victim into making payments for taxes, stamp duty, and fees under false pretenses.
To establish credibility, the perpetrators provided counterfeit NPCI identity cards and a forged Aadhaar card in the name of Jagdish Chandra Vyas. They also orchestrated the opening of bank accounts in the victim’s name at ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank, along with providing a SIM card for continued control over communications and transactions. Despite promises of transferring funds to bank accounts, the accused persistently demanded additional payments, resulting in a total loss of Rs 47,35,874.
Following a thorough investigation, the Cyber Crime team successfully traced the culprits to Modinagar in Ghaziabad. The arrested individuals, Sumit Kumar and Ashu Agrawal, were found to be instrumental in perpetrating the fraud. Kumar, who impersonated officials and circulated forged documents, had a history of engaging in cyber fraud activities. On the other hand, Agrawal was responsible for supplying SIM cards used in the fraudulent activities at inflated prices.
Police have cautioned the public against falling prey to unsolicited calls promising financial gains and emphasized the importance of reporting such incidents promptly. They have also highlighted the risks associated with repeated biometric verifications during SIM issuance, which are often exploited for fraudulent purposes.
