The Cyber Police Kashmir today cracked the Rs 21 lakh digital fraud case, arresting three individuals and recovering Rs 4.13 lakh from the accused.
Addressing a press conference here, SSP Srinagar, the scam came to light after a senior citizen from Srinagar filed a complaint, reporting that he was defrauded by scammers impersonating officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
“The fraudsters accused the victim of being involved in a fabricated money laundering case amounting to Rs 6.8 crores. To intimidate him, they issued fake arrest warrants and penalties, declaring the conversations a “national secret” and instructing the victim to lock his house and avoid any communication with others,” the SSP said. “Under this pressure, the victim prematurely closed his fixed deposits and transferred Rs 21 lakh to a fraudulent HDFC Bank account, falsely assured that the funds would be refunded within hours.”
An FIR was registered under number. 26/2024 and police launched a detailed investigation using advanced technical tools.
“Teams were dispatched to Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Punjab, leading to the arrest of Gaurav Kumar from Shamli (UP), Gurpreet Singh from Patiala (Punjab), and Ujjawal Chauhan, also from Patiala,” the SSP said.
He said during the operation, the police seized 4 mobile phones, a MacBook, 13 SIM cards, 24 debit cards, 20 cheque books, 10 passbooks, and other incriminating materials. An amount of Rs 4.13 lakh has already been released back to the complainant’s account.
SSP Srinagar said that further investigations are ongoing to uncover other conspirators and dismantle the larger network behind this scam.
The police have issued a public advisory urging citizens to exercise caution while sharing sensitive financial information and warned against falling prey to such schemes. “Legitimate government agencies will never demand payments, conduct investigations over phone calls, or request sensitive data online. Citizens are advised to verify the authenticity of such claims and report suspicious activities immediately to the nearest Cyber Police station or helpline,” the SSP said—(KNO)
