UP’s Mini Jamtara: A Mathura Village Where Cyber Fraud Has Become A Way Of Life

Mathura: Devsaras village in Mathura district, barely six kilometres from Govardhan police station, has earned an ominous reputation as Uttar Pradesh’s mini Jamtara. In this village of around 7,000 people, mobile phones and SIM cards outnumber clothes in many homes, and cyber fraud has emerged as the primary source of income for a large section of residents.

Police estimates suggest that nearly 60 percent of the village population depends directly or indirectly on online fraud for livelihood. Children here are reportedly introduced to cyber scams at a very young age, learning the tricks of the trade almost as soon as they grow up.

On December 11, the Mathura police launched a massive search operation in Devsaras that lasted nearly 12 hours. Around 400 police personnel were deployed. During the operation, 42 suspected cyber fraudsters were identified and 37 were arrested. However, nearly 120 suspects managed to flee across the Rajasthan border. Police said many of those identified were educated only up to Class 5 or Class 8.

A day after the operation, the impact was clearly visible. Heavy police movement on village roads a day earlier had left behind an atmosphere of fear. Most lanes and bylanes remained deserted, and shops stayed shut for long hours.

At a village crossing, a small group of residents gathered cautiously. Ram Naresh, a resident said the police had done the right thing. “These cyber fraudsters have created terror in the village. No one dares to oppose them. If someone who does not do this work speaks against them, they are beaten up and harassed. Living here becomes difficult,” he said.

Another resident, Ghuveer, said the number of young boys joining cyber fraud had increased rapidly in recent years. “Most of them are young and spend the entire day making calls on their phones. They do not even need to sit inside their homes. They set up small makeshift huts in fields and run their operations from there,” he said.

When asked whether fear of police raids ever bothers them, villagers said the fraudsters usually receive advance warnings. “As soon as the police enter the village, their people inform them. By the time police reach, nothing is found,” a resident said. This time, however, the raid was conducted early in the morning when many were asleep. Even then, more than half managed to escape by crossing the border.

Residents pointed towards a woman, Janani, whose three sons Tasleem, Taleem and Saiful were taken into custody. Speaking reluctantly, she denied any wrongdoing by her sons. “My sons work hard. Why would the police take them? I went to the police station but was driven away. People are saying they cheated others on mobile phones, but I know nothing about this,” she said.

Mohammad Shamsi, another villager, admitted that cyber fraud had brought shame to Devsaras. “It is true that some people cheat others using mobile phones. That is why the village is infamous. We have tried to explain to them many times, but they do not listen,” he said. Irshad said the bad reputation has affected social ties. “People do not want to marry their daughters into this village anymore. Because of this stigma, no one wants relations here,” he said.

Police claim that most of the youths involved are not well educated. Many drop out after primary school and begin learning cyber fraud early. Training is often provided inside homes by experienced fraudsters. They are familiar with various apps available online and use software to change voice and screen backgrounds. Victims are trapped through malicious links that allow fraudsters to hack mobile phones.