KANPUR: A significant cybercrime ring operating in a Jamtara-style has been uncovered in the Reuna village of Ghatampur, leading to the arrest of 20 gang members accused of defrauding applicants of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Meanwhile, 17 accomplices are still at large, prompting ongoing efforts to locate them.
Police Commissioner Raghubir Lal reported that the operation was initiated after receiving multiple complaints via the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Acting on a tip-off, a police team proceeded to Reuna village where suspicious cyber activities were observed, resulting in the immediate arrest of 20 individuals.
The police revealed that the gang lured victims with fraudulent government schemes. Various mobile devices and digital evidence were confiscated from the scene.
The Commissioner explained that the suspects often operated in small groups of 3-4, utilizing fake SIM cards and commonly changing numbers to reach victims. “They leverage applications like Truecaller, PhonePe, Google Pay, and Paytm to acquire personal details and correct names,” he noted.
Once they gathered the necessary information, scammers would contact victims posing as representatives from the UP Awas Vikas office, stating, “We are following up on your Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana application. Kindly provide your Aadhaar number to verify housing approval.”
The scammer would then inform the victim that their application was accepted, connecting them with a second individual who claimed, “To claim your Pradhan Mantri Awas funds, you must send Rs 1100 for registration to our government account.” Victims were deceived into transferring funds via Google Pay and PhonePe.
Some members of the gang impersonated police officers, threatening victims by saying, “You are being recorded for watching inappropriate content on your mobile. Police are on their way to your location.”
Another scammer would play a police siren from a mobile device, asserting, “I am approaching to arrest you. To avoid arrest, send Rs 11,000 immediately to my account.”
Fearing legal repercussions, victims transferred money to the scammers, who used the obtained funds for personal indulgence and entertainment.
The arrested individuals included Rahul Kumar, Neeraj Kumar, Pradeep Singh, Satendra, and others.
