In a significant crackdown on cybercrime, a gang of fraudsters operating in Kanpur Dehat, which deceived people by falsely promising government housing benefits, has been busted. A joint police operation led to the arrest of four individuals involved in this elaborate scam.
Modus Operandi: Lures and Threats
The criminals had developed a sophisticated method to exploit their victims. They would initiate contact by phone, offering houses under various government schemes as bait. Once they engaged a potential victim, their tactics turned sinister. The accused would then threaten individuals with what is known as a "digital arrest," falsely accusing them of watching obscene content online. Using this fabricated charge, they would extort money through intimidation.
The Joint Operation and Arrests
The breakthrough came from a coordinated effort by multiple police units. Teams from the Special Operations Group (SOG), the Cyber Crime Police Station, and Akbarpur Police Station conducted a raid, successfully apprehending the four accused. From their possession, authorities recovered seven mobile phones, including both smartphones and keypad models, which were instrumental in carrying out the cyber fraud.
The arrested individuals have been identified as:
- Akhilesh Singh Chauhan (24), son of Ramesh Singh
- Devendra Pratap Singh alias Gaure (35), son of Rajaram Chauhan (Both are residents of Mangaulpur)
- Anuj Singh (21), son of Ramasar Singh from Shitalpur
- Madresh Singh (40), son of late Sahdev Singh from Shitalpur, under Gajner police station, originally from Kushner in Pratapgarh's Kunda police station area.
The Complaint That Unraveled the Scheme
The investigation was triggered by a formal complaint filed on September 10 by Jitendra Kumar Yadav, a resident of Ward Number 7 in Kasba Akbarpur. Yadav, who runs a cyber cafe, reported that a person named Virendra Kumar and his associates were using his establishment to facilitate fraudulent transactions. They would get money transferred from various people via UPI and then collect cash in return at his cafe.
It was only a few days later, when his own bank account was frozen, that Jitendra Yadav discovered the truth. The fraudsters had been using his account as a conduit to receive funds from their victims, making him an unwitting participant in their scheme.
Following a thorough probe, an FIR was registered at the Cyber Crime police station. The case has been filed under relevant sections of the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), specifically sections 318(4), 308(5), and 351(2)(3), along with Section 66-D of the IT Act, which pertains to punishment for cheating by personation using computer resources.
This bust highlights the evolving nature of cyber threats in India, where criminals are increasingly exploiting trust in government initiatives and using psychological fear tactics like digital arrest to commit financial crimes. The recovery of multiple phones suggests an organized operation, and police investigations are ongoing to uncover the full extent of the network and the total amount of money swindled.
