BJP MLA Duped in Elaborate Cyber Scam Involving Fortuner Vehicle Auction

In a concerning turn of events, cybercriminals have successfully defrauded Kushwaha Shashibhushan Mehta, the BJP MLA from the Panki assembly seat, using a cunning scheme. The perpetrators, masquerading as GST customs officials, convinced the MLA to participate in a vehicle auction, specifically highlighting a Fortuner. They shared images of the car, valuing it at ₹12.70 lakh, and requested a payment of ₹1.27 lakh (10%) to secure the vehicle. A fraudulent receipt was also provided. After receiving the money, the scammers cut off all communication. The MLA, with the help of his personal assistant, reported the fraud to the cybercrime police. This incident underscores the growing threat of cybercrime targeting public officials. In a separate case, the Ranchi cyber police arrested Vijay Prakash from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, who had been running a fraudulent investment scheme on YouTube, defrauding individuals of ₹23.95 lakh through deceptive advertisements and promises of high returns within WhatsApp groups.