In two separate cyber fraud incidents reported from Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad district, scammers cheated two residents of nearly ₹35 lakh using sophisticated online traps. One victim lost ₹8.6 lakh after his phone was hacked during a fake KYC update, while another was duped of ₹26.44 lakh in a fraudulent online “task completion” scheme. Police have registered both cases and transferred the investigation to the Cyber Cell.
Fake KYC call leads to ₹8.6 lakh loss
The first case was reported from Ramprastha Colony, where Sanjay Saxena, a senior citizen, received a WhatsApp call on November 28 from a person claiming to be an executive of the State Bank of India (SBI). The caller told Saxena that his credit card KYC needed to be updated immediately.
During the call, the fraudster asked him to share his mobile screen, promising to guide him through the process. As soon as Saxena did so, his phone was remotely hacked, and within minutes, over ₹8.6 lakh was withdrawn from his two credit card accounts through multiple transactions.
According to ADCP (Crime), an investigation has been initiated, and efforts are being made to freeze the defrauded amount. The police suspect the use of screen-sharing malware that allows scammers to access sensitive banking credentials in real time.
Task-based Earning Scam Robs Man of ₹26.44 Lakh
In another incident, Lalmani Shukla, a resident of Raj Nagar Extension, fell prey to an online work-from-home scam promising quick income. On October 15, he received a WhatsApp message offering part-time online “task completion” jobs with attractive commissions.
After responding to the message, Shukla was added to a Telegram group, where he was asked to deposit small amounts as “task fees.” Initially, he was told to invest ₹2,000, and he received ₹2,800 in return — a move designed to build trust.
Encouraged by the apparent legitimacy, Shukla continued performing the assigned online tasks, depositing money across multiple bank accounts as instructed. Over time, he transferred a total of ₹26.44 lakh. However, when he tried to withdraw his supposed earnings, the fraudsters demanded additional payments under the guise of tax and processing charges, before disappearing.
Police trace fraudulent accounts, attempt fund recovery
ADCP (Crime) Piyush Singh said both cases have been registered under relevant sections of the IT Act and Indian Penal Code. The Cyber Crime Unit has started the process of tracing the bank accounts and digital wallets used by the fraudsters.
“Efforts are underway to freeze the transferred funds before they are moved further,” Singh said, adding that investigators are coordinating with multiple banks and online payment platforms. The police have also sought IP logs and device details from WhatsApp and Telegram to identify the suspects.
Growing cybercrime menace in NCR region
The cases highlight a continuing surge in cyber fraud across the National Capital Region (NCR). Despite repeated awareness campaigns, scammers continue to exploit new methods — from fake KYC updates to Telegram-based investment traps — to target individuals across age groups.
Police have reiterated their advisory asking citizens not to share screens, OTPs, or banking details with unknown callers, and to report suspicious activity immediately via the 1930 helpline or the cybercrime.gov.in portal.es.
