In a startling incident, cybercrime police in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, have arrested three fraudsters who duped a retired Major General out of Rs2 crore. The scammers posed as police officials, frightening him with false claims of involvement in a money laundering case.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Kanaram Gurjar (30) from Jaipur, along with Lalit Kumar (22) and Sachin Kumar (30) from Alwar, Rajasthan.
According to police reports, the fraudsters initially convinced the retired Major General, N.K. Dheer, to download the Skype app. Once he complied, they appeared on a video call, impersonating senior police officials and falsely stating that he was under digital arrest for a money laundering case. To “resolve” the matter, they coerced him into transferring Rs2 crore.
The Major General, who resides in Sector-31, Noida, filed a complaint with the cybercrime police on August 27, 2024. Following a thorough investigation, police apprehended the three suspects in Jaipur.
Investigations revealed that these fraudsters specifically targeted senior citizens and retired officials, convincing them they were under digital arrest. Using fake police identities, they demanded large sums of money, promising illegal settlements for fabricated cases.
The criminals collaborated with accomplices who transferred the scammed money into the accounts of unsuspecting students preparing for exams in Jaipur and Jodhpur. These students were lured with small commissions for sharing their bank details. The fraudsters then withdrew the cash and converted it into cryptocurrency, such as USDT.
The kingpin of the operation, Rajkumar from Alwar, was arrested by Mumbai police on October 2, 2024.