Gujarat Fast Food Owner Scammed of Rs 9 Lakh—Conmen Tricked Him Into This Shocking Task!

Gandhinagar: A 42-year-old fast food joint owner in Gujarat's Amreli was scammed out of Rs 9.8 lakh by cyber fraudsters impersonating representatives of a well-known IT company specializing in mobile app and website development.

The owner of the fast food joint told police that a social media user on Telegram reached out to him and asked him to complete certain tasks on the Internet that will help him earn substantial earnings.

The fraudster, who introduced himself as Vidhi Gautam, introduced herself as an agent of a well-known IT firm.

Victim Asked to Pay Installments For Quick Profits

The fraudster introduced the victim to her firm's website and explained the tasks he needed to complete.

Also Read: Food Fraud Alert: 1,400 Kg of Contaminated Paneer Worth Rs 11 Lakh Seized in Pune

Initially, she paid him Rs 900 for completing 30 tasks, followed by Rs 3,100 the next day for additional work. 

Later, he was asked to pay Rs 9,000 for account renewal, after which he received Rs 18,000 for completing 90 tasks. Over time, he was coerced into depositing Rs 9.8 lakh for various reasons.

When further payments were demanded, Rathod realized he had been scammed and contacted the cybercrime helpline 1930. 

A case has been registered and further investigation is underway, police said. 

Meanwhile, in a major breakthrough, the Special Task Force (STF) of Uttar Pradesh has dismantled an international cybercrime syndicate with direct ties to Chinese nationals. The operation, culminating in the arrest of two key operatives on February 25, 2025, has exposed a sophisticated global network using digital coercion, fraudulent gaming platforms, and illicit trading applications to scam victims and launder money on a massive scale.  

The bust highlights the growing footprint of Chinese-linked cyber fraud in India and raises serious concerns about the involvement of Chinese actors in digital crime across the world.

The cyber syndicate’s operations were anything but ordinary. At the heart of their fraud was a chilling new tactic—"digital arrest"—where victims were falsely detained through online coercion and manipulated into transferring funds. This method, eerily similar to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) crackdown on dissent, involved using fear and psychological pressure to force individuals into compliance.