Karnal: Fraudsters targeted retirees impersonating EPF officers

Tribune News Service

Parveen Arora

Karnal, February 6

A complaint from a retired employee, allegedly cheated by fraudsters of Rs 3.8 lakh, has led to busting of a Noida-based gang targeting retired employees to swindle them of their retirement funds, including EPF, GPF, and GIS group insurance. The gang is believed to have defrauded approximately 80 retired employees of lakhs across the country.

TRANSFERRED Rs 3.8L FROM VARIOUS ACCOUNTS

Krishan Kumar, a retired Civil Surgeon and resident of Wazir Chand Colony, filed a complaint stating that he had been promised swift disbursement of his GIS funds by a caller impersonating an EPF office employee. Kumar then transferred Rs 3.8 lakh from various accounts on different dates. Later, he realised that he had been cheated

The cybercrime police station has apprehended eight members of the gang, while one of the kingpins is still at large. Among the arrested, Shashi Bhushan Tiwari and Parveen, are the masterminds and were sent to judicial custody recently. The police will take them on police remand for investigation, which was approved by the court on Tuesday.

Investigations unveiled the gang’s modus operandi, which involved targeting the retired individuals whose retirement funds were pending clearance. Posing as officials from the EPF, Delhi, they promised expedited fund releases and forced victims into transferring money under the guise of processing fees or refundable fee, said ASI Mukesh Kumar, the investigating officer.

“The police remand of Parveen and Tiwari will help in determining the whereabouts of the absconding accomplice Raj Parkash Tiwari, brother of Shashi Bhushan, who is still at large. Efforts are being made to arrest him,” he said.

Krishan Kumar, a retired Civil Surgeon and a resident of Wazir Chand Colony, filed a complaint that he had been promised swift disbursement of his GIS funds by a caller impersonating an EPF office employee. Falling victim, he transferred Rs 3.80 lakh from various accounts on different dates. Later, he realised that he had been cheated. The police have registered a case under Sections 120B and 420 of the IPC, he added.

Following leads from bank transactions, the police traced the money trail to Noida resident Hemant, who disclosed his involvement in the scam. Hemant, along with the gang’s masterminds Parveen and Shashi Bhushan Tiwari, was arrested on January 22. Subsequent arrests included Meenakshi, Jyotika, Priya, Savitri, alias Swati, and Tarun, all allegedly accomplices in the fraudulent operation.

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