Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 9 Jun: The Uttarakhand Special Task Force (STF) has arrested a man from West Bengal who cheated people of Rs 3.20 crore using fake identities and bank accounts. The accused, Suraj Maula, was caught by the STF team from the Khardah Police Station area in Barrackpore Commissionerate, West Bengal.
According to the STF, accused Suraj Maula used social media platforms like WhatsApp to contact people. He posed as the Managing Director of a company and tricked people into sending money for a fake project.
The resident of Tehri Garhwal filed a complaint against him. He received a message in May 2025. The fraudster told him to save a WhatsApp number and asked for Rs 1.95 crore as advance payment for a new project. He asked the money to be transferred to the account of “Shyam Trading Company”.
During the investigation, police found that multiple fake bank accounts and IDs were used to carry out the fraud. In just one day, crores of rupees were transferred through these accounts. Police recovered 2 mobile phones, 3 SIM cards, 3 debit cards, a driving licence, and Aadhaar cards from the accused.
SSP Navneet Singh said that Suraj gained the trust of victims by pretending to be a senior official. He contacted people using WhatsApp and tricked them into sending money to different accounts. He was part of a larger plan to cheat people online.
STF has warned the public not to trust unknown messages, job offers, or quick-money schemes online. They advised people to verify websites and people before making any payments. If anyone becomes a victim of cyber fraud, they should call the helpline number 1930 or contact the nearest cybercrime police station.
