Online fraud: Weaving a web around the gullible

Amit Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 30

There’s no let-up in cyber fraud cases in the city. Gullible people falling prey to such fraudsters has become a trend, it seems. Hopeful of pocketing a health profit from insurance policies, they invest hefty sums and end up losing their hard-earned money.

The cyber crime investigation cell of the Chandigarh Police is flooded with such complaints. One such complaint is of 61-year-old Gurdyal Chand, a resident of Sector 41, who said he was duped of Rs 19 lakh on the pretext of investing in insurance policies. The victim deposited the money in various bank accounts over the last two years, but did not get any profit or the money he invested.

This is the second such case reported in April. Earlier this month, Ravinder Singh Grewal had complained that he was cheated to the tune of Rs 42 lakh by a gang of fraudsters, following which a case was registered at the Sector 34 police station.

The cyber cell has arrested two persons Tajendra Singh, a resident of Noida, and Harvinder Singh (39), a resident of Sri Ganga Nagar, Rajasthan, in the case.

In January, a Delhi resident was arrested for duping one Azad Kumar residing in Sector 28 of Rs 9.56 lakh. Agents from a private company had contacted Kumar on his mobile phone and offered a bonus amount against an insurance policy.

Following the complaint, accused Ravi Singh, a resident of Jawallapuri, New Delhi, was arrested.

Police officials at the cyber cell said the accused convinced the people by assuring them high returns and made them invest huge sums in the name of insurance policies.

They said in many cases, the bank accounts in which the money was transferred turned out to be opened on fake names and documents.