Cybercriminal Posing as DM Defrauds Lucknow Student of ₹90,000

Cybercriminal Posing as DM Defrauds: A 20-year-old Lucknow University student was duped into paying Rs 90,000 for furniture delivery after a cyber fraudster impersonating as the district magistrate of Siddharthnagar and her uncle’s acquaintance asked her to pay urgently.

Neha Tripathi, a resident of Gulistan Colony, in her FIR said she had no reason to suspect anything when she received a call on May 28 from someone claiming to be the DM of Siddharthnagar. The caller told her that a consignment of furniture was arriving and she must receive it and immediately transfer ₹90,000 via e-payment to a specified number. He also said that this request was made by her uncle.

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Believing the call to be genuine, Neha transferred the amount to the mobile number without verifying the delivery. It was only a few minutes later, when her uncle contacted her, that she realised she was conned. He clarified that he had made no such request and was equally shocked.

Alarmed, her uncle contacted the district magistrate of Siddharthnagar, whom the fraudster allegedly impersonated. The DM denied making any such call, confirming that the matter was indeed a case of cyber fraud through identity spoofing.

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Neha acted fast. She dialled the national cybercrime helpline 1930, visited the Cyber Cell in Hazratganj and got her bank account frozen. She made the payment through her account. The cyber team was able to hold ₹41,000 of the defrauded amount before it could be withdrawn by the scammer.

Neha filed a formal complaint at the Gautampalli police station, which was filed under Section 66D of the IT (Amendment) Act, 2008, and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. SHO, Gautampalli, Pankaj Kumar said the accused is unidentified and it is suspected that the case is linked to a broader pattern of cybercriminals impersonating senior officials and family members to extract money.

SHO, Gautampalli, Pankaj Kumar said the accused is unidentified, and it is suspected that the case is linked to a broader pattern of cybercriminals impersonating senior officials and family members to extract money. Investigation is on.

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