A young man from Bihar, filled with dreams of becoming an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, arrived at the gates of the prestigious Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie only to have his hopes shattered by a cruel cyber fraud.
The Elaborate Cyber Deception
Pushpesh Singh, a 28-year-old resident of Saran district working for a private firm in Gurgaon, was contacted by individuals posing as Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) officials. The fraudsters conducted a fake online examination, after which they declared him selected. To solidify the illusion, they sent him a forged merit list and a detailed training schedule via WhatsApp.
Convinced by the authentic-looking documents, which even bore official stamps, Pushpesh paid the accused Rs 30,000. Following the instructions, he then traveled with his parents to Mussoorie, ready to begin his training as an IAS officer at the LBSNAA.
Reality Strikes at the Academy Gates
The dream unraveled quickly at the entrance of the academy. Alert LBSNAA officials spotted discrepancies in the documents presented by Pushpesh and immediately stopped him. They informed the Mussoorie police, who swiftly reached the spot.
Upon verification and questioning, it became clear that Pushpesh was a victim of a sophisticated scam. Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ajai Singh noted that the documents were convincing at first glance. The local intelligence unit and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) were also alerted about the incident.
Legal Action and a Warning to Aspirants
Since the fraudulent transaction and initial deception occurred while Pushpesh was in Gurgaon, police registered a zero FIR under BNS section 318(4) for cheating at the Mussoorie police station. The case has since been transferred to the Gurgaon police for further investigation.
This incident is not isolated. It follows a pattern of cybercrimes targeting civil service aspirants, often from smaller towns. In May 2023, Jharkhand police busted a racket offering fake IPS postings for Rs 2 lakh. Victims are typically lured with fabricated exams, results, and appointment letters mimicking official UPSC communications.
Despite repeated advisories from the UPSC urging candidates to verify results only through its official website, many remain vulnerable. The immense prestige attached to these services makes aspirants easy targets. An investigating officer stated that Pushpesh, a degree holder, had no reason to doubt the documents until he was turned away at the academy's gate.
This case serves as a stark reminder for all competitive exam candidates to exercise extreme caution online and to rely solely on official channels for communication and results.
