Jaipur: A 56-year-old woman allegedly died by suicide after falling victim to a cyber fraud racket that lured her with promises of buying rare and antique coins and later subjected her to blackmail using AI-generated videos and fake police notices.
Police have arrested six members of the interstate cyber fraud gang, including its alleged mastermind, from Bihar and detained three minors in connection with the case.
The victim, identified as Madhubala, a resident of Subhash Colony in Jhalawar, had reportedly lost lakhs of rupees to the gang after responding to advertisements on social media offering to purchase old and rare coins and currency notes for high prices. After she fell into debt, the accused allegedly intensified their extortion attempts by threatening her with fabricated legal consequences and AI-generated content.
Unable to bear the financial and psychological pressure, Madhubala consumed poison and died.
Superintendent of Police Amit Kumar said the gang was busted with the assistance of Bihar Police. The investigation began after the victim's daughter, Kalpana Thakur, lodged a complaint at the Kotwali police station on November 1, alleging that her mother had been driven to suicide through continuous harassment and extortion.
An examination of the deceased's mobile phone revealed that the fraud had links to Bihar. Police subsequently added charges related to extortion, cheating, and violations of the Information Technology Act.
A special investigation team analyzed bank accounts, digital transactions, and technical evidence to identify the interstate network. Acting on the SP's directions, special teams led by three police station in-charges were sent to Bihar.
With assistance from police in Saharsa, Madhepura, and Khagaria districts, the teams arrested six accused—Aarti, Khushboo, Manju Devi, Ranju Devi, Satish, and Ajit. Three minors were also detained, and mobile devices were seized. The accused have been brought to Jhalawar for further interrogation.
The investigation revealed that the gang circulated misleading social media advertisements claiming to purchase rare and antique coins and currency notes for lakhs of rupees. After establishing contact with Madhubala, the accused initially collected a small amount to gain her confidence before extracting money through various fabricated reasons.
In one instance, the accused allegedly sent her a 30-second WhatsApp video showing policemen beating a young man. Accompanying threatening audio messages suggested that this was the fate of people involved in fraud.
The gang also allegedly fabricated a story that its members were coming to her house to return the money but had met with a car accident on the way. They then sent AI-generated fake bills purportedly relating to the damaged vehicle and medical treatment of an injured person, persuading her to transfer additional amounts.
In another attempt to intimidate her, the accused allegedly sent an AI-generated image of the Jhalawar police station showing bundles of Rs 500 currency notes placed on a table in front of police personnel.
The victim was also threatened that her son would be implicated in a serious criminal case and that his life could be in danger. Police said the accused continued to exploit her through threats of financial losses, social disgrace, and legal action.
According to the SP, investigators found that money had been transferred into the victim's bank accounts through multiple bank accounts and UPI QR codes.
The probe also revealed that some arrested accused had allegedly been involved in several cyber fraud complaints earlier. Satish Kumar was named in 13 complaints, while nine complaints were registered against Manju Devi and two against Ranju Devi.
Police are now questioning the arrested accused to establish the full extent of the racket, identify other members of the network, and trace the money transferred by the victim.
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