Banda: Fraudsters Steal ₹98,633 via Fake Government Aid Scam
A medical shop worker in Banda lost nearly Rs 99,000 after cyber criminals posed as government officials promising aid to a local resident.
In a chilling example of how sophisticated cyber criminals have become, a medical shop worker in the Banda district of Uttar Pradesh was swindled out of ₹98,633. The perpetrators used a highly calculated ruse, posing as officials from the Child Development Department to target unsuspecting villagers.
The Setup: A False Accusation
The deception began in Badokhar Buzurg village, located within the Girwan police station jurisdiction. The scammers first targeted Aarti, an Anganwadi assistant, by calling her and leveling false accusations. The unidentified caller claimed that she had failed to distribute essential nutritional supplements to the community.
When Aarti defended her professional conduct and insisted that all duties were being performed regularly, the caller shifted tactics. To "verify" the distribution process, the fraudster requested the contact details of a pregnant woman in the village. Trusting the caller's authority, Aarti provided the number of Prema, the wife of a local resident named Ravikaran.
The Bait: Promised Financial Assistance
The scammers then moved to the next phase of their trap. They contacted Ravikaran, claiming that his wife was eligible to receive a government aid package amounting to ₹12,600. To make the transaction appear legitimate and to bypass certain hurdles, the fraudster requested a PhonePe QR scanner from someone capable of handling larger transactions.
Ravikaran complied by providing a QR scanner belonging to Neeraj Nigam, a son of Harishankar Nigam, who works at a nearby medical shop. This seemingly small step proved to be a devastating mistake for the worker.
The Digital Heist
Following specific instructions sent via message by the criminal, a button was clicked on the device. What was intended to be a simple verification or receipt process turned into a rapid-fire digital robbery. A series of unauthorized transactions were triggered instantly, draining a total of ₹98,633 from Neeraj Nigam's bank account.
The victim, realizing the gravity of the situation after the funds vanished, immediately approached the authorities. A formal complaint has been lodged at the cyber police station, with the victim seeking a rigorous investigation and strict legal action against the unidentified culprits behind this elaborate scam.