Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Cyber fraudsters duped three persons of over Rs 4 lakh in three separate incidents using different modus operandi. Police have registered cases and launched investigations to trace the unidentified suspects.
In the first case, a 60-year-old retired BHEL employee, Ratan Singh, a resident of Piplani, was cheated of Rs 1.45 lakh. He received a call from an unknown number, where the caller impersonated an acquaintance and gained his trust. Believing the voice to be familiar, Singh shared his UPI-related details, following which the amount was fraudulently transferred. Upon realising the fraud, he lodged a complaint with the national cyber helpline, and the Piplani police registered a case.
In another incident from Kohefiza, Vinay Lalwani, 23, a hotel sales manager, fell victim to a task-based scam and lost Rs 1.70 lakh. He initially received a message promising money on clicking a link, through which he was credited a small amount. Later, he was added to a Telegram group and encouraged to invest money for higher returns. As the displayed profits increased, he continued transferring money. However, when he attempted to withdraw the amount, he was asked to deposit an additional Rs 3.26 lakh.
In the third case, Narendra, 66, a cloth merchant from Kolar Road, was duped of Rs 1.19 lakh. A fraudster posing as a delivery agent informed him that his address needed verification for parcel delivery. He was sent an APK file and asked to click a link. Soon after installing it, money was debited from his two bank accounts.
