The Uttar Pradesh Police has filed a case against a youth from Azamgarh and an alleged associate from Lucknow for cyber fraud of ₹21.17 lakh from a fake mobile application. It is a detailed technical investigation to trace some of the fraudulently obtained money to the accused's bank account.
The cyber fraud came to light after Sarojini Nagar, Lucknow's resident Sanjay Mehrotra filed a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP). Mehrotra alleged in his complaint that he was cheated of ₹21.17 lakh by a fake mobile application that lured him into transferring money.
Following the complaint, the Cyber Cell began a probe through banking transactions, digital records and other technical evidence to follow the movement of the stolen funds.
Investigators found that ₹90,000 from the defrauded amount was transferred on November 28, 2025, to a bank account allegedly belonging to Mohammad Zaid, a resident of Asifganj in Azamgarh.
More technical analysis revealed that the money credited to the account was withdrawn through nine separate ATM transactions in Lucknow on the same day. Police believe the withdrawals were part of an effort to quickly disperse the fraud proceeds and make tracing the funds more difficult.
Mohammad Zaid, after being questioned by authorities, said he met up with a Lucknow resident named Taha while playing the online game PUBG. Taha promised him easy money and offered him access to his bank passbook, ATM card and other banking credentials, he said.
The investigators say that the bank account was subsequently used to receive money obtained through cyber fraud. Zaid admitted he received ₹5,000 as commission for allowing his account to be used in the transaction.
Police now follow the entire money trail to determine where all the remaining money was transferred and if other bank accounts or individuals were involved in the alleged cybercrime network.
Officials are also investigating whether other suspected associates may have helped the operation by providing bank accounts, withdrawing cash, or assisting in moving the stolen funds.
And the investigation continues and the government is still analyzing digital evidence and financial transactions to verify the full extent of the fraud.
Police have advised people to be careful when they download mobile applications and make online investments or financial transactions and report suspicious activity to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal or the nearest police station.
Comments
Please to leave a comment on this article.