Ludhiana cyber fraud: Jagraon youth loses ₹2 lakh, man arrested from Mohali

The Kurali-based accused posed as a woman and assured the 26-year-old victim that he would arrange Australian visa for him; an FIR has been registered

A man posing as a woman on social media to lure people with fake overseas visa offers has been arrested in connection with a ₹2.39-lakh fraud, the cyber crime police (Ludhiana Rural) has said. The accused, identified as Aman of Kurali in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (SAS Nagar), created fake accounts on social networking platforms using the names and identities of women and approached unsuspecting people with promises of arranging foreign visas.

ASI Gurmukh Singh of the cyber crime police station said the investigation led to Aman’s arrest. (HT FILE)

The case came to light after Manjot Singh, 26, of Kular village in Jagraon, approached the police alleging that he was cheated of ₹2,39,750 on the pretext of arranging an Australian visa. Following his complaint, the cyber crime police station registered the FIR under Section 318 (4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on July 21.

According to the complainant, he received a message on Snapchat on May 13 from an account named “kaurgill8146”, promising an Australian visa. The person behind the account allegedly introduced himself as Barkat Kaur Gill, claiming to be living in Australia. He told him that he had paid money to a travel agent for the visa for a woman, however, the woman backed out. The accused stated that the travel agent had refused to return the money, but he had promised to arrange a visa for another person in exchange for money. Aman also told him that he had lost both her parents, while her grandmother lives in Amritsar. He also arranged a phone conversation between Manjot and his purported ‘grandmother’.

When the accused later claimed that she (he) would arrive in India on May 24 and subsequently switched off the phone, he realised that he had been duped.

ASI Gurmukh Singh of the cyber crime police station said the investigation led to Aman’s arrest. The police suspect that more people, including women, may be involved in the racket and expect further details to emerge during the accused’s questioning.