A dangerous mix of greed and digital deception has once again trapped a common citizen in the city, costing her hard-earned savings.
Poonam Agnihotri, a resident of Mans Bhavan area in Manknagar, recently received a call informing her that she had won a lottery of ₹30 lakh and a Mercedes car. The catch, however, was that she had to pay ₹45,000 upfront to convert the foreign prize money into Indian currency and clear tax formalities.
Tempted by the offer, Poonam deposited the amount. But this was only the beginning of a long ordeal. Over the next few days, fraudsters—posing as SBI bank managers—kept demanding money under various pretexts such as car transfer charges, GST, road tax, and insurance fees. By the time she realized the trap, she had lost a total of ₹2.70 lakh.
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The scam escalated further when the culprits began posing as CBI officials to intimidate her. The fraudsters, hiding behind names like Surendra Singh, Rajkumar Yadav, and Rakesh Mishra, continued pressuring the victim until she finally approached the police.
Police Investigation
Lucknow Cyber Crime Police have registered a case against five unidentified accused and started their investigation. Authorities say such scams are rising sharply, exploiting human emotions of greed and fear.
Cybercrime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh cautioned against falling for such promises. “Stories of lotteries, prizes, or gifts from abroad are created only to lure victims. Cybercriminals know that people often fall into the mindset of ‘getting rich quickly.’ The rule is simple—no legitimate organisation will ever ask you to pay in advance to claim a prize. Vigilance is the only protection.”
Stay Alert, Stay Safe
Officials advise that if an unknown caller offers a lottery or foreign gift in exchange for money, treat it as a red flag. No police or government officer will ever demand money over calls. Citizens should avoid making advance payments or clicking on suspicious links and must immediately report such incidents to the police or cybercrime helpline.
This incident is not just the story of one woman’s tragedy, but a reminder of the wider cyber fraud web where greed, fear, and betrayal combine to rob ordinary citizens of their savings.