Digital fraud alert: Three arrested for Rs 20 lakh cyber fraud; Victim duped by fake GAIL representatives

Ranchi: The CID and Hazaribag police have arrested three cybercriminals for allegedly swindling a Ranchi resident of nearly Rs 20 lakh by posing as official representatives of GAIL (India) Ltd.

The accused, identified as Ravi Kumar Saw, Suraj Kumar Thakur and Sagar Kumar Yadav, all hailing from Hazaribag district, were taken into custody on Thursday following an investigation into a complaint lodged at the cybercrime police station in Nov 2025, police said.

Police said the victim, seeking a new gas connection, inadvertently accessed a fraudulent customer care number of the company via a search engine. Upon initiating contact, the fraudsters sent a malicious link to the victim’s mobile phone on the pretext of an official registration process. The moment the victim clicked the link, his bank account was emptied of Rs 19,85,073, prompting a police inquiry that eventually led to the accused being traced.

Additional DG (CID) Manoj Kaushik said that fraud related to LPG connections has occurred in the past. While the department has not seen a surge in fraud specifically linked to the recent LPG crisis, citizens must remain vigilant.

He, however said, “As the demand for essential services increases, opportunistic criminals are increasingly likely to exploit these requirements to defraud the public.”

Kaushik emphasised that the most effective defence against such scams is for citizens to rely exclusively on official websites and verified contact numbers when engaging with corporate entities.

In a public advisory, the CID cautioned against sharing any personal or financial information during unsolicited phone calls. The department highlighted that helpline numbers found on social media or search engines are frequently manipulated by scammers and should not be trusted. Instead, users are urged to verify all contact details through official corporate portals and to refrain from clicking on any links sent by unidentified individuals.

In the event of a suspected cybercrime, the authorities recommend immediately contacting the national helpline (1930) or registering a formal complaint via cybercrime.gov.in.