Lucknow: A cyber fraud involving fake MBBS admissions has come to light after a man from Daltonganj, Jharkhand, alleged that he was cheated of ₹1.825 million (₹18.25 lakh) by an individual who promised to secure his daughter’s admission to an MBBS course. After the admission failed to materialize, the victim lodged a complaint at Vibhutikhand Police Station, following which police registered a case and launched an investigation.
According to police, the complainant was searching for an MBBS seat for his daughter when he came across a consultancy website on the internet claiming to facilitate admissions to medical colleges. He contacted the consultancy using the phone number listed on the website and spoke to a person identified as Sharma.
The accused allegedly assured the complainant that he could secure his daughter’s admission to an MBBS programme. Acting on these assurances, the victim transferred a total of ₹1.825 million in multiple transactions to different bank accounts in the name of the Hindu Institute of Medical Sciences (HIMS). The accused reportedly continued to reassure the complainant that the admission process was progressing, preventing him from suspecting any fraud.
When several days passed without any admission being confirmed or official documents being provided, the complainant realised that he had been cheated. He immediately approached Vibhutikhand Police Station in Lucknow and filed a complaint. Following a preliminary inquiry that indicated fraudulent activity, police registered a case and began a detailed investigation.
During the investigation, police visited the accused’s office in Gomti Nagar but found it locked. Investigators have since started examining the accused’s bank accounts, financial transactions, and Call Detail Records (CDRs). Police are also trying to determine whether additional victims were targeted through the same fake consultancy network and trace the flow of the defrauded money.
Police officials said the accused had previously been named in cybercrime-related cases. Investigators are reviewing those earlier cases to determine whether the suspect is part of an organised network involved in fake admission schemes, fraudulent consultancy websites, and online financial scams targeting students and their families.
Cybersecurity experts advise parents and students to rely only on official counselling authorities and authorised institutional websites while seeking admission to professional courses such as MBBS and engineering. They caution against transferring money to personal or third-party bank accounts based solely on promises made by private agents or consultancies and recommend independently verifying every admission offer before making any payment.
Police have urged the public to verify the authenticity of any consultancy, agent, or website claiming to guarantee admissions. Anyone demanding money in private accounts, promising confirmed seats outside the official admission process, or insisting on unusual payment methods should be treated with suspicion, and the matter should be reported immediately to the police or cybercrime authorities.
The Vibhutikhand Police are continuing their investigation from all angles. The accused is being traced through banking records, digital evidence, and call data analysis. Further legal action will be taken based on the findings of the investigation.
