Woman Duped of ₹30.63 Lakh in Auraiya ‘Gift Parcel’ Cyber Scam; Two Arrested

AURAIYA (UP): A woman from Auraiya lost ₹30.63 lakh after falling victim to a “gift parcel” cyber-fraud run by an interstate gang. Police have arrested two members of the syndicate from Jhansi, exposing a network operating across multiple states.

According to police, the victim befriended a man on social media who claimed to live in London. After earning her trust, he told her he was sending expensive jewellery as a gift. Soon after, she received calls and messages saying the parcel had been held for customs clearance, and she was asked to pay taxes, penalties and other charges.

Believing the claims, she transferred ₹30.63 lakh into several bank accounts provided by the fraudsters. When the supposed parcel never arrived and the callers began evading her, she lodged a complaint with cyber police.

The SOG and surveillance team tracked the money trail to Moth in Jhansi, where two accused were arrested. Police recovered mobile phones, fake Aadhaar cards and documents used for the operation. Initial investigation shows that the gang routed the money through bank accounts in Assam, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh to evade detection.

Officials say the arrested suspects are part of a wider interstate cyber syndicate specialising in gift-parcel scams. Raids are underway to locate other members and freeze the linked bank accounts.

Authorities have warned the public not to trust unknown social-media contacts or make payments for alleged foreign parcels, stressing that government agencies never demand money via WhatsApp or personal calls.