Fake captain defrauds woman of ₹17.5 lakh, take these steps to stay cautious
Recently a case was reported where a woman has claimed that a fake captain has defrauded her of ₹ 17.5 lakh. This is how it happened: Manpreet Kaur's husband who works in the Army as Naik was approached by a colleague and was introduced to 'Captain' Sagar Guleria who – he claimed – had helped a number of Army personnel procure housing loan assistance and government subsidies.
Her husband – at Guleria's instance -- applied for a personal loan of ₹ 17.5 lakh which was transferred to the joint bank account of husband and wife. Then Guleria told them to transfer the entire money to his account so that he could apply for the assistance and subsidy. Then when they transferred the money through RTGS, Guleria stopped taking their calls and completely disappeared from the scene. This is one of the many frauds which have been happening all around for the ease of money transfer through net banking and UPI, among other options.
In the first half of 2024-25, banking fraud cases surged 27 per cent over the corresponding period of previous year, RBI data showed.
1. Never transfer money on any pretext: In this instance, the victims were persuaded to transfer the money to the perpetrator's bank account. This is a complete red flag.
Why would someone convince you to transfer the money for any reason but to commit a fraud? Several cases of digital frauds also came to light where victims were told to transfer the money in order to prove genuineness.
2. Do not trust a stranger: Seeking help for subsidy and housing assistance should ideally happen via a formal channel and not through some person you meet unofficially.
A new person promising to help you financially is just a stranger who you are reposing your faith in. There is more risk than benefit. ,
3. Reviews from friends: It is always recommended to ask around and seek feedback from the people around you. Sometimes you get too engrossed in the situation at hand and as a result, you develop a tunnel vision and fail to get the overall perspective of the situation.
In this case, if the victim had asked around about the perpetrator, he would have probably been told that several Army personnel were defrauded with similar modus operandi.
Visit here for all personal finance updates.
First Published: 24 Apr 2025, 02:30 PM IST
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
3 hours ago
- India Today
Tamil Nadu top cop warns public against AI-enabled scams amid rising cyber frauds
Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (DGP) Shankar Jiwal issued a public warning over the alarming evolution of scams, many of which now involve impersonation of law enforcement officers and even the use of artificial intelligence (AI).'Scams are evolving at an alarming rate. Most common scams include scamsters impersonating law enforcement officials, claiming that 'you are under arrest', demanding immediate payment and preying on your fear and confusion,' said DGP Shankar Jiwal. He added that stock market scams are also prevalent, where fraudsters lure victims by promising high returns, profits, and insider tips. According to the police chief, perpetrators use fake websites to gain trust and vanish after swindling highlighted that scammers often target people through mobile messaging applications such as WhatsApp, by impersonating senior executives and pressuring employees to send money using fake authority. 'Unified Payments Interface (UPI) fraud involves fake payment links or phishing calls. Fraudsters manipulate victims to send money through the shared link,' he said. Scammers are also known to exploit social media platforms by befriending individuals, stealing personal information, and then using emotional manipulation or threats to extort money. DGP Jiwal warned that fraudulent loan applications often request access to phone galleries and misuse that data for blackmail. In another form of fraud, criminals create fake profiles on matrimonial websites, craft fabricated emotional narratives to win trust, and then request advancements in AI, voice cloning has emerged as a new threat. 'Scammers impersonate family members using cloned voices to extort money,' said DGP Jiwal. He also raised concerns over cyber slavery, where individuals are lured with false promises of jobs abroad and are later forced to participate in cybercrime Shankar Jiwal urged the public to be vigilant and reminded them that there is no concept of "digital arrest". 'Be cautious with strangers on social media and avoid sharing your personal details. When downloading applications, ensure that they come from trusted sources and be mindful of the permissions they request. On matrimonial sites, verify identity in person. Never enrol for foreign jobs without confirming the agency's authenticity,' he concluded by advising citizens to report cybercrimes by calling the national helpline 1930. IN THIS STORY#Tamil Nadu
Hindustan Times
8 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Army jawan arrested in Amritsar for leaking info to Pakistan's ISI: Punjab Polic
Following the arrest of two men in Punjab's Amritsar on charges of espionage, police authorities said on Sunday that one of the accused, a serving Army sepoy, was allegedly in contact with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). A serving Army jawan in Amritsar was held for allegedly leaking sensitive info to Pakistan's ISI.(Representational Image/pexel) Amritsar Rural Police Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Maninder Singh told ANI, "We received information that Gurpreet Gopi, a sepoy in the Indian Army, had ISI contacts and had been in touch with them. He had been conducting suspicious monetary transactions with his friend, Sahil Masih from Dhariwal village." SSP Singh added that Gurpreet has been booked under Sections 359 of the Official Secrets Act and Section 35 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and is being interrogated. "After gathering information, we learned that Gurpreet has been posted in Jammu. After detaining him, we found plenty of incriminating data. Following a detailed investigation, we registered an FIR and arrested him. We have informed the security and intelligence agencies, and a joint interrogation is underway," SSP Singh said. Read More: Pakistan condemns US strike on Iran day after nominating Trump for Nobel Peace Prize The two men, identified as Gurpreet Singh aka Gopy Foji and Sahil Masih aka Shali, were apprehended on Sunday on suspicion of espionage activities linked to Pakistan's ISI. The Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) posted on X, "Amritsar Rural Police apprehended two persons suspected of espionage activities linked to #Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The arrested accused have been identified as Gurpreet Singh @ Gopy Foji & Sahil Masih @ Shali." Preliminary investigations revealed that Gurpreet Singh was in direct contact with the ISI operative and was suspected of sharing sensitive and confidential information via pen drives. "Preliminary investigation reveals that Gurpreet Singh was in direct contact with operatives of the Pakistan ISI and is suspected of sharing sensitive and confidential information via pen drives. The key ISI handler involved in the case has been identified as Rana Javed. Two mobile phones reportedly used to communicate with ISI operatives has been seized," the post further read. More details are awaited. (ANI)
The Print
14 hours ago
- The Print
Army jawan held by Punjab police on spying charges, was ‘introduced to ISI by Dubai-based smuggler'
Gurpreet, who joined the Army in 2016, was posted in Jammu with the Sikh regiment, and was at his native place on a month's leave at the time of his arrest. The arrest was made Saturday by Amritsar Rural police, who took the Army jawan identified as Gurpreet Singh alias Gopy Fauji, along with his aide, Sahil Masih, into custody. New Delhi: Police in Punjab have arrested a serving Army jawan for allegedly sharing sensitive information with operatives of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), state police chief Gaurav Yadav said Sunday. Both Gurpreet and Sahil belong to Dhariwal village in Amritsar and were introduced to operatives of the ISI around five months back by a Dubai-based drug smuggler from the same town, DGP Yadav said in a statement Sunday. He added that the probe conducted so far has established that Gurpreet was in direct contact with ISI and is suspected of sharing sensitive and confidential information via pen drives. Additionally, he said that two mobile phones containing virtual numbers allegedly used for communication with ISI handlers have also been recovered from the accused. The key ISI handler involved has been identified as Rana Javed, DGP Yadav said. Amritsar Rural Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Maninder Singh said Gurpreet systematically exploited his official position to collect classified information, which he then allegedly passed on to his handlers via pen drives and discs. 'The espionage network was reportedly facilitated by an acquaintance identified as Arjan, a Dubai-based drug trafficker from Dhariwal, who introduced Gurpreet to ISI operatives five months ago, he said, while adding that since then, Gurpreet has actively engaged in the unauthorised collection and relay of sensitive military data to the ISI using pre-decided drop locations,' a Punjab Police spokesperson said Sunday. SSP Singh added that Gurpreet had been receiving money from ISI operatives in exchange for classified information. The funds, he said, were deposited into the bank accounts of Gurpreet's friends, relatives, and foreign associates through credit to avoid detection. According to an FIR filed by Amritsar Rural district police, the duo was arrested on a tip-off from a source who alerted them to Gurpreet's suspicious activities. 'Even today, these two (accused) were sitting on the newly built Bharat Mala National Highway in Kaler village and making some plan. If they are raided now, they can be caught, and their phones, documents, and other belongings can be searched, allowing a significant amount of information to be obtained from them. Among them, information about the virtual/WhatsApp and money transactions of the agents of Pakistan's ISI can be found,' a police officer documented in the report that formed the basis of the FIR. The duo has been booked at Lopoke police station in Amritsar Rural under relevant sections of the Official Secrets Act and section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) which deals with common intention in criminal acts. ThePrint reached Army spokesperson Colonel Nishant Arvind for comment via calls and WhatsApp messages but had not received a response by the time of publication. This report will be updated if and when a response is received. (Edited by Amrtansh Arora) Also Read: Tarn Taran man held for 'espionage', 'shared' sensitive info with ISI on army movements during Op Sindoor
