Punjab man held for cheating Goa resident of Rs 1 lakh

Panaji: The cyber crime police on Sunday arrested a man from Ludhiana, Punjab, for defrauding a victim from Goa of Rs 18 lakh. The accused, Surinder Kumar, 19, contacted the victim through WhatsApp on June 3, impersonating a CBI official.Kumar falsely claimed that the victim’s bank account and personal details were linked to a money laundering case and coerced them to transfer Rs 18 lakh, stating that the money was to safeguard the victim from legal consequences, said police.“Acting swiftly, the cyber crime police station initiated technical surveillance and financial trail analysis, which led to the identification and tracking of the accused’s location in Punjab,” said SP Rahul Gupta.

Kumar was arrested from Ludhiana. An offence has been registered for offences punishable under Sections 318(4), 319(2) r/w 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 66-D of the Information Technology Act, said Gupta.A cyber crime police team under PSI Anil Polekar proceeded to Ludhiana, arrested Kumar, and brought him to Goa. He was remanded in four days of police custody. Further investigation is being conducted by PI Deepak Pednekar.

“Goa police remains committed to its mission of combating cybercrime and protecting the public from digital threats. Citizens are advised to remain cautious, avoid responding to unknown messages or calls demanding money, and immediately report such incidents at the nearest police station or to the 1930 number,” said Gupta.