Rs 50 Lakh Fraud Targets National Insurance Officials in Patna

Patna: Three National Insurance officials in Patna have fallen victim to a cyber scam, losing Rs 50 lakh in an investment fraud. The officials — Rajiv Ranjan, Deepak Kumar, and Chandan Kumar — have lodged a complaint with the city’s cyber police station, sparking an investigation into what appears to be a larger, intricate scam.

According to the complaint, the trio was duped by Mrityunjay Kumar, a resident of Digha, who had gained their trust by promising large returns on investments in Initial Public Offerings (IPOs). The officials were introduced to Mrityunjay by a colleague, Ranjit Kumar, who claimed that Mrityunjay was employed at JP Morgan and Yakshit Financial, reputable names in the financial sector. He also assured them that over 8,000 people had profited by investing through Mrityunjay’s IPO platform.

Initially, Mrityunjay delivered on his promises, providing early returns to gain the officials’ confidence. But after they collectively invested nearly Rs 50 lakh, Mrityunjay disappeared. He delayed returning the money and made a series of excuses before eventually switching off his phone and fleeing. The cyber police are investigating the case, suspecting that the scale of the fraud may be more extensive than initially reported.

The scam comes as a broader wave of cybercrimes has swept through the region. In a separate incident, Vijay Kumar Das, a retired chief manager from the State Bank of India, was defrauded of Rs 14 lakh. Das received a call from an individual posing as a crime branch officer, accusing him of involvement in an illegal transaction and threatening arrest. The caller extracted Das’ banking details under the guise of resolving the issue and then transferred Rs 14 lakh out of his account.

Similar scams have been reported across Patna, with cybercriminals targeting a range of individuals, from retired employees to ordinary citizens. Archana, a resident of Postal Park, was swindled out of Rs 50,000, while Dharamveer Kishore, a resident of Ganga Vihar Colony, lost Rs 3.49 lakh after a fraudster posing as an electricity department official claimed his smart meter needed updating.

The growing trend has become a significant concern for local authorities. In another major case, Dr. Brijlal, an ENT specialist, was defrauded of Rs 4.5 crore by a former employee, Brijendra, who stole his cheque book and forged his signature to transfer the funds. Although Brijendra has returned Rs 32 lakh of the stolen money, much of it remains unaccounted for.

The Patna cyber police are now handling a spate of cases involving fraudulent calls and online schemes. The total reported losses in recent weeks have exceeded Rs 30 lakh across 15 individuals.

As investigations continue, the authorities are urging citizens to exercise caution when receiving unsolicited calls or being asked for personal financial details, warning that cybercriminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their methods.