Uttar Pradesh: Varanasi police have registered a case after a man from the Rohaniya area was allegedly cheated of ₹12.50 lakh in the name of “digital arrest” and money laundering proceedings. The victim, identified as Yogendra Tiwari of Kashipur in Rohaniya police station area, alleged that fraudsters kept him under pressure through video calls and transferred money from him after posing as officials from different agencies.
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Fake Telecom Complaint Used to Begin the Trap
According to the complaint, Yogendra Tiwari received a call on February 27 from a mobile number. The caller identified himself as Vijay Sharma from the Department of Telecommunications and claimed that a complaint had been made in Tiwari’s name. He was allegedly told to call another mobile number through WhatsApp to find out the details of the complaint.
After this, the callers allegedly continued speaking to him through video calls and group communication. The victim was kept in fear throughout the night, with the fraudsters warning him not to share the matter with anyone.
Threat of Arrest and Court Action Alleged
The callers allegedly claimed that if the main accused escaped, Tiwari would be caught and face severe punishment. They also allegedly invoked the name of a surveillance operator, Dheeraj Chaudhary, and continued the conversation through the night.
The victim was later produced before a “judge” through a mobile phone video call, according to the complaint. The fraudsters allegedly used this staged process to deepen fear and make the victim believe that legal proceedings were underway against him.
Money Sent Through RTGS After Asset Verification Claim
During the calls, a woman identified as Nisha Patel allegedly spoke in the name of the ED and discussed the court case and file. The victim was then told that a detailed inquiry into his property and bank accounts was being carried out.
He was allegedly instructed to send ₹12,50,000 through RTGS for this verification. The money was transferred on March 6 to the account provided by the fraudsters. After the transaction, all the numbers used by the callers were switched off.
Realising that he had been cheated, the victim contacted 1930 and lodged a complaint. A case has been registered against the fraudsters, and the matter is under investigation.
