As per reports, a joint operation involving the cyber cell and the UP Police in Lucknow thwarted a significant cyber fraud amounting to Rs 120 crore.
The fraudsters, posing as officials from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU), orchestrated the scam by setting up a fictitious university account. They then transferred the substantial sum to a charitable trust based in Gujarat. Seven individuals have been apprehended in connection with this elaborate scheme. According to a report from TOI, the cyber fraud foiled in Lucknow is potentially one of the largest in Uttar Pradesh’s history.
Major Cyber Fraud Foiled in Lucknow, Rs 120 Crore Transferred to Fake Accounts
In the cyber fraud operation uncovered in Lucknow, fraudsters successfully deceived bank officials by impersonating officials from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU). They fraudulently opened a bank account in a nationalized bank under the university’s name. Over five transactions totaling Rs 120 crore, they transferred funds from AKTU’s legitimate account to this newly created fake account.
Subsequently, the fraudsters swiftly redirected the transferred funds to an account held by a charitable trust based in Gujarat, also in a nationalized bank. However, suspicions arose among bank personnel, prompting an audit that ultimately revealed the fraudulent activities.
Upon discovering the irregularities, the bank promptly alerted law enforcement authorities, leading to the arrest of seven individuals involved in the scam. This incident underscores the importance of vigilance and stringent security measures in safeguarding against cyber fraud and financial malpractice.
Police Bust Lucknow Cyber Fraud
Police revealed that a gang successfully obtained a crucial letter from a public sector bank’s branch manager, Anuj Kumar Saxena, enabling them to transfer funds. They also impersonated an authorized AKTU signatory to open a fraudulent account and obtain checkbooks for further transactions. The arrested individuals include Devendra Prasad Prabhashankar Joshi and Uday Patel from Gujarat, Rajesh Babu from Unnao, Girish Chandra and Shailesh Kumar Raghuvanshi from Lucknow, Dastgeer Alam from Amethi, and Krishna Kant from Basti district.
Police efforts recovered Rs 119 crore from the accused, stopping the payment process.
Culprits Exploited Bank’s Email ID in Lucknow Fraud Case
DCP East, Prabal Pratap Singh, disclosed that the culprits exploited a bank’s email ID obtained from a vacationing branch manager. Using this, they sent a forged letter to the Jankipuram branch, where AKTU had an account, requesting funds be transferred to a fake FD account at another branch. Singh explained, “They then moved the money to a company’s account and withdrew around Rs 1 crore.”
In his complaint on June 12, bank manager Anuj Kumar Saxena recounted receiving a call while in Manali from someone claiming to be Dr. Shailesh Kumar Raghuvanshi, who asked for Saxena’s visiting card for a fixed deposit. Saxena complied and later received calls from a person claiming to be a finance officer of AKTU inquiring about fixed deposit rates. “They transferred Rs 49 crore, Rs 49 crore, and Rs 22 crore in consecutive days from the Jankipuram branch,” Saxena added. Suspecting fraud, the bank acted quickly, halting payments to the Gujarat trust account.
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