Patna: Patna witnessed a wave of cyber fraud as ten individuals across various localities fell victim to scams totaling approximately ₹19 lakhs. The victims have since registered cases at the cyber police station, prompting an ongoing investigation by law enforcement.
Among the victims, Rohit Kumar, a clothing businessman from Patel Nagar Bhattacharya Road, lost ₹6.50 lakhs to fraudsters who targeted him while he was planning a trip to Vaishno Devi. Kumar came across an advertisement for a tour and travel company on social media during the Navratri festival, which promised discounts on accommodations and travel.
After contacting the company, the fraudster took Kumar’s mobile number and initiated conversations. He promised cashback while requesting ₹1.50 lakhs for tickets and related expenses. The fraudster also obtained Kumar’s banking and UPI details, subsequently withdrawing an additional ₹5 lakhs from his account without any notifications sent to his mobile.
Kumar was set to leave for Vaishno Devi with his family on Tuesday and had been informed that his stay was arranged at a hotel in Jammu. However, when he called the hotel to confirm, he learned that no reservation had been made in his name. Realizing he had been scammed, Kumar found that the fraudster’s mobile number was switched off. He has filed a complaint with the cyber police.
Cyber criminals also defrauded five other individuals of ₹5.62 lakhs through various schemes. Sanjay Kumar Upadhyay from Kankarbagh lost ₹1.45 lakhs after being convinced by an acquaintance, Dr. Khurshid, to install an online trading app called Saint Louis. Upadhyay reported that after investing in the app from July to September, it suddenly ceased functioning, revealing the scam.
Ramakant Sah, another victim from Jagdev Path, was defrauded of ₹3.15 lakhs after his mobile was stolen. Despite reporting the theft and blocking his SIM, he learned that his UPI account was activated with a new SIM, leading to unauthorized withdrawals.
Additionally, Mohd. Shamshad from Phulwari Sharif reported that his mobile was stolen at Danapur railway station, resulting in a loss of ₹27,884.
Three individuals were deceived under the guise of updating electricity bills. Naveen Kumar from DPS Mor received a call from someone claiming to represent the electricity department, warning him of a disconnection due to incomplete e-KYC. A link sent during the call led to a withdrawal of ₹1,95,683 from his account.
Similarly, Arun Kumar from Shastri Nagar fell victim to a similar scheme, losing ₹4,06,636, while Mahendra Prasad Singh from Neura was cheated of ₹4,95,000 under the pretext of an electricity bill update.
In a separate incident, Aastha Raj from Nehru Nagar was scammed out of ₹15,000 after responding to a work-from-home advertisement on Instagram. The fraudsters demanded registration and documentation fees.
Additionally, a fraudster impersonating a credit card department officer targeted Manzoor Ali from SDRF, extracting ₹59,357 from his account by soliciting personal information.
The cyber police are urging citizens to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to avoid falling prey to such scams.
