The Pauri police in Uttarakhand have dismantled a fraudulent gang responsible for swindling hundreds of people across the country out of approximately Rs190 crore through fake investment schemes. Five individuals have been arrested, including the state chief of the operation.
According to the Senior Superintendent of Police in Pauri, the gang established a fictitious cooperative society named LUCC, luring residents from Dehradun, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Uttarkashi, and Tehri districts to invest in gold coins, an oil refinery, and foreign investments. Investigations reveal that the gang defrauded victims of over Rs1.89 crore across multiple states.
The mastermind behind this operation is Sameer Agarwal, a Mumbai resident who founded an organization called SAGA in 2016. He subsequently created six cooperative societies under this umbrella and expanded branches into various states. Following the exposure of the scam, Agarwal fled to Dubai, and the Pauri police are actively pursuing the case.
In a related development, the Indian cyber-security agency CERT-In has issued an advisory highlighting numerous methods employed by fraudsters to perpetrate online scams, including the “digital arrest” tactic. This form of scam involves criminals impersonating government officials to manipulate victims into transferring money or divulging personal data.
CERT-In emphasizes that genuine government agencies do not communicate via platforms like WhatsApp or Skype, urging individuals to verify identities by contacting relevant authorities directly. The agency advises that if someone pressures you for money over the phone or online, it is likely a scam.
To protect against such threats, CERT-In recommends remaining vigilant and informed, avoiding panic, and refraining from sharing sensitive information with unknown contacts. The advisory outlines additional scams, such as phishing schemes, lottery frauds, and cash-on-delivery scams, underscoring the importance of skepticism in financial dealings.
