Five Duped of ₹1.26 Crore in Rising Cyber Frauds in Prayagraj

Prayagraj: Cybercrime cases are on the rise in the city, with five people losing a total of ₹1.26 crore in separate online scams, according to police. The Cyber Crime Police have registered FIRs and started investigations to trace the fraudsters.

Police said the victims were targeted through fake investment and franchise schemes, as well as UPI-related frauds.

Vivek Kumar Srivastava lost ₹50 lakh after being tricked into investing in fake IPOs promising high returns. Similarly, Sachin Kumar was cheated of ₹36.99 lakh in a bogus US stock market investment scheme.

In another case, Pawan Kumar was duped of ₹6.98 lakh after falling for a fake Reliance Consumer Products franchise offer. Two other victims — Govind Pal and Ramsundar Patel — lost over ₹7 lakh and ₹6.9 lakh respectively after cybercriminals hacked their phones and carried out unauthorized UPI transactions.

Police said they are tracking digital footprints and bank transactions to identify and arrest the culprits. Authorities have also advised the public to stay alert, avoid sharing personal or banking details online, and verify any investment or business offer before making payments.