₹30 Lakh Mineral Water Franchise Scam: Cyber Team Recovers Full Amount, Victim Gets Refund

In a major success for the cybercrime unit, officials have recovered ₹30 lakh that a man lost to fraudsters in the name of a mineral water franchise. The victim, Gyan Chandra Yadav, resident of Banspar Baida under Surouli police station area, received a call offering him a franchise and was persuaded to transfer the amount to a bank account. Soon after receiving the money, the scammers switched off their mobile phones, and all attempts to contact them failed.

Realising he had been cheated, Gyan Chandra approached the cybercrime team and lodged a complaint. Acting swiftly, the team froze the bank account where the money had been deposited. After continuous efforts, the full amount was successfully recovered. On Wednesday, ASP Sunil Kumar Singh handed over the refund cheque to the victim, bringing relief and a smile to his face.

In another case, Sumant Kushwaha, a resident of Deoria Khas under Sadar police station, lost ₹40,000 while trying to book a camera online. He made the payment through a website, but the transaction turned out to be fraudulent. He immediately reported the incident to the cybercrime team, which acted promptly and succeeded in recovering the amount. The refund was handed over to the victim on Wednesday.

Officials have advised the public to remain alert while making online payments, especially for franchise offers, purchases and schemes that require advance transactions. Verifying details and using secure platforms can help prevent such frauds, they added.