Lavkesh Kumar (name changed) (24) working with a leading publication house, was stunned when one of his woman colleagues called him to inform that random WhatsApp messages about his involvement in a sexual crime are being circulating. Within five minutes, Lavkesh received a call from his brother, who informed him about the messages.
Lavkesh approached the cyber cell. The initial probe revealed that Lavkesh had borrowed Rs 4,000 through an instant loan providing online firm and failed to repay the amount. The online firm, which had the right to access the contacts of Lavkesh, had sent these messages.
Gurleen Kaur (22) of Mani Majra, was befriended on Instagram by one Edwina Gomes of Canada. Edwina promised Gurleen two-side air tickets at 25 per cent discount through her friend, Abhishek, in Delhi. Gurleen took Abhishek’s number from Edwina and passed it to her father, who deposited Rs 69,097 in Abhishek’s bank account, only to realise that they were cheated by fraudsters. Later, the cyber cell arrested Shrikrishna Virender Kumar Gautam, who confessed to cheating Gurleen and others befriending them on Facebook, Instagram and other online platforms. He was arrested on February 15.
Besides Lavkesh and Gurleen, there are hundreds of young people in the age group of 18 to 35 years who have become victims of online immigration frauds, job frauds, stalking, bullying allurements of costly gifts and friendships with foreign nationals.
A source in the UT cyber cell said,…
