RAIPUR: In a disturbing case of rising cybercrime in Chhattisgarh, a senior woman officer of the Directorate of Economics and Statistics in Raipur has been defrauded of nearly ₹90 lakh by an alleged female cyber fraudster posing as a Facebook friend.
The victim, Deputy Director Maya Tiwari, reportedly became acquainted with a woman using the name “Zara Ali Khan” on Facebook. What began as casual social media interaction soon turned into a calculated fraud, with the impostor convincing Tiwari to invest in a supposed high-return online trading platform named Bull Markets Your Gateways.
Fake Friendship Turned Fraud
According to police sources, the cybercriminal lured the officer by promising significant financial returns. Under this pretext, Maya Tiwari transferred over ₹90 lakh in multiple transactions to several bank accounts provided by the fraudster. The investments were allegedly made through accounts linked to the so-called trading firm.
When Tiwari began to grow suspicious and demanded her money back, the fraudster flatly refused to return the funds. Realising she had been duped, the officer approached the local police station.
Investigation Underway
Based on the complaint, Raipur’s Rakhi Police Station has registered a case against unidentified persons under cybercrime provisions. Authorities are tracing the bank accounts and social media handles involved in the fraudulent activity.
Officials acknowledge that the growing menace of cyber fraud in Chhattisgarh has reached alarming levels. During the recent monsoon session of the State Assembly, Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Vijay Sharma revealed that cyber frauds amounting to over ₹107 crore have been reported across the state in the past 18 months.
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To combat this, the government has initiated the formation of dedicated cyber cells in all districts, aiming to improve response and prevention mechanisms.
This incident again highlighted that even highly educated and trained individuals, including senior government officials, remain vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated online scams.