Jaipur, July 25 (IANS) A woman teacher was duped out of Rs 12.80 lakh by cybercriminals in Rajasthan’s Ajmer district.

The Ajmer Police have arrested one accused in connection with the case from Jaipur.

The victim, Gargi Das, an English teacher at the prestigious Mayo College Girls School, received a phone call on August 25, 2024, from a person claiming to be a Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) officer.

The caller threatened to disconnect her mobile number. Shortly afterwards, she received a WhatsApp video call from another individual posing as an officer of the Mumbai Crime Branch.

He falsely claimed that an FIR for money laundering had been filed against her in Canada. The fraudsters intimidated her by sharing forged legal documents and instructed her to maintain silence.

Under pressure and fear of arrest, the cybercriminals coerced her into transferring Rs 12.80 lakh in four separate transactions.

Ajmer Circle Officer Hanuman Singh informed that an FIR was registered on September 26, 2024.

During the probe, it was found that a portion of the defrauded money was transferred to a bank account belonging to Junja Ram alias Jeetu (23), a resident of Barmer.

The accused had rented out his account to cyber thugs for Rs 10,000, unaware of the scale of the crime.

Police said around Rs 1 lakh of the cheated amount was transferred to this account and later withdrawn via cheque.

Jeetu, a BA graduate, reportedly acted out of financial greed.

Authorities are now questioning him to identify other accomplices and uncover the entire fraud network. This arrest is the fourth in the case, as three other accused had been previously nabbed.

The police continue to investigate further links in what appears to be a well-organised cybercrime racket targeting unsuspecting individuals through fear and manipulation.

–IANS

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