Ludhiana: A retired Indian Army veteran from the city has reportedly fallen victim to a pair of cyber scams, losing about Rs 45 lakh in two incidents over 15 days. Authorities have launched an investigation amid rising concerns over cyber fraud targeting vulnerable individuals.
The Ludhiana Rural police have registered an FIR (first-information report). The victim, Hardev Singh, a retired Naik from Bassian village, has reported two separate frauds. In the first incident on July 21, he received a call from a person posing as a bank representative. The caller offered him an “instant loan” and, upon the veteran's showing interest in borrowing Rs 1 lakh, the caller instructed him to submit his documents and pay a processing fee. The veteran was asked subsequently to make multiple transfers, totaling Rs 18 lakh, on the promise of a larger loan approval.
On Aug 4, the retired soldier was targeted again. This time, a caller claiming to be an executive from Ansh Tower in Rohini, New Delhi, offered him the installation of a mobile tower on his property, assuring a steady monthly income. The veteran agreed, only to be persuaded into transferring Rs 27 lakh in “security deposits”, with the promise of reimbursement after the tower installation. When the caller stopped responding, Hardev Singh realised he had been deceived and then he reported the incidents to the police.
Inspector Rupinder Kaur, investigating officer, confirmed that a case has been filed under sections related to cheating, forgery, and impersonation under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Information Technology Act. "The investigation is ongoing, and we are tracing the accounts where the funds were deposited," sghe said.
In the FIR, Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act was applied for online fraud.