A major digital fraud linked to the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme has been uncovered in Lucknow, where an organized network allegedly created thousands of fake beneficiary entries, enabling ineligible individuals to avail free medical treatment and causing significant losses to the government exchequer.
The accused, identified as 25-year-old Chak Sheru alias Abhishek alias Ajay, is a graduate from Hardoi and was residing in Lucknow. According to investigators, he initially came in contact with the syndicate while attempting to get his own Ayushman card approved, after which he was allegedly recruited into the network.
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Data Manipulation and Demographic Hijacking
Probe findings suggest that the accused and his associates had access to family ID data across multiple districts of Uttar Pradesh. Using this data, they allegedly manipulated beneficiary records by matching personal details such as father’s name, address, and district, and inserting individuals into unrelated families, thereby making them eligible under the scheme.
In several cases, names were added to genuine family IDs without the knowledge or consent of the original beneficiaries. This structural manipulation allowed completely ineligible individuals to gain unauthorized access to government-funded healthcare benefits.
Exploiting Safeguards via OTP Redirection
A crucial component of the operation was an unauthorized digital portal designed to bypass security verification protocols. Normally, system alerts and verification codes are sent to the registered head of the family during any modification in beneficiary records.
However, the fraudulent architecture was allegedly altered in a way that redirected these verification codes directly to the mobile number of the person being added, effectively defeating the system’s primary verification safeguard. Investigators revealed that a software developer played a key role in designing this fake portal to enable unauthorized entry approvals without proper scrutiny, validating forged documents as authentic within the system.
Scale of Fraud and Recovery of Identity Gear
During interrogation, the accused reportedly admitted that he processed five to six fake Ayushman cards daily and claimed involvement in the creation of nearly 1,500 fraudulent beneficiary entries over the past year. He also stated that he and others involved in the network were paid substantial amounts for each successful entry.
A range of identity verification and processing equipment was recovered from the accused and his associates, including:
- Aadhaar and PAN cards utilized for generating fraudulent profiles.
- Fingerprint scanners and webcams to mimic biometrics.
- Printers, laptops, CPUs, and mobile phones used for processing fraudulent documentation.
Through these fraudulent Ayushman cards, multiple ineligible beneficiaries allegedly availed free treatment at government hospitals, placing a heavy financial burden on public healthcare resources. Preliminary estimates suggest that the overall loss could run into several crores of rupees as authorities expand the probe to track down secondary technical operatives and cross-district links.
