Cybercrime authorities have arrested three individuals in connection with two separate digital fraud incidents that led to a combined loss of rS11 lakh for city residents. The accused—Vikrant Singh (31) and Saurav Singh (26) from Lucknow, and Abulaish Ansari (50) from Gorakhpur—were presented in a local court and remanded to judicial custody.
In the first case, Yogesh Kumar reported losing rS4.61 lakh to a fraudulent loan modification scheme. After taking a business loan from a financial firm, Kumar received a call from someone pretending to be an executive from the same company. The caller told him that loan terms could only be revised if he first cleared the existing amount. Believing this, Kumar transferred money via links shared over WhatsApp.
Investigators traced the trail of money to accounts in Indian Overseas Bank (held by Vikrant Singh) and ICICI Bank (held by Saurav Singh). Both were arrested in Lucknow. During questioning, they admitted to providing their bank accounts and withdrawing the funds for an associate involved in the fraud.
In another case, Anil Prakash Dubey fell victim to a fake investment scheme. He received a WhatsApp call from a scammer posing as a Tata Capital employee offering bulk shares at discounted prices with high returns. Initially, Dubey deposited small sums and received prompt returns, which boosted his trust. Eventually, he invested ₹6.67 lakh. When he attempted to withdraw his supposed profits, the fraudsters coaxed him into transferring another Rs22 lakh.
Suspecting fraud, Dubey reported the matter to the cybercrime unit in Sector 17. Investigators traced the money to an IDFC First Bank account belonging to Abulaish Ansari. A raid in Gorakhpur led to Ansari’s arrest, where police recovered his mobile device and evidence of other scam-linked numbers. Ansari confessed to being part of a broader network and shared key details that have advanced the investigation.
