Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh | Uttar Pradesh Police have busted an interstate cyber-fraud racket that duped job seekers across several states by promising bank jobs. Seven accused, including two women, have been arrested, officials said on Sunday.
According to the police, the accused were operating a fake call centre and cheating unemployed youth by issuing forged appointment letters and fabricated agreements in the name of bank recruitment. The gang had been active across multiple states for several months.
What was seized during the raid
From the possession of the accused, police recovered:
- 12 mobile phones
- 2 laptops
- 2 SIM cards issued under fake identities
- Several forged appointment letters and agreements
- 15 bank passbooks and 2 chequebooks
- UPI QR codes, ATM cards, and 11 other cards
Investigators also found that the laptops contained data of around 6,450 individuals from different states across the country.
Data sourced from OLX and job portals
Officials said the gang collected details of job seekers from online platforms, particularly OLX and other job-related websites. Victims were then contacted over phone and lured with assurances of bank employment. Money was collected in the name of registration, training, or security fees.
Case cracked through ‘Pratibimb’ portal
The racket came under police scrutiny following complaints received on the Union Home Ministry’s ‘Pratibimb’ portal, along with inputs from technical surveillance. The investigation has revealed at least 20 complaints from different states so far.
These include Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Assam, and Meghalaya.
Who are the arrested accused
The arrested persons have been identified as Mohit Kumar, Puneet Kumar, Vardaan, Anuj Kumar, and Akshay, along with two women. All of them were arrested at around 11:30 am from under the Eastern Peripheral Expressway in the Kotwali Baghpat area.
Charges invoked
A case has been registered at the cyber crime police station under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 66D of the Information Technology Act, which deals with online cheating. Further investigation is underway to identify other members of the network and trace the money trail.
Police warning and advisory
Cyber police have urged youth and job seekers to:
- Avoid trusting job offers received via phone calls or messages, especially for bank or government jobs
- Refrain from paying any upfront fees for employment
- Verify appointment letters only through official websites and channels
- Report suspicious offers immediately to cyber police or authorised government portals
