A cyber-enabled fraud case in Prayagraj has exposed how digital payment platforms are being misused through emotional manipulation and carefully planned deception. A street food vendor in the Civil Lines area allegedly lost nearly ₹99,000 after being targeted through a fraudulent Google Pay transaction scheme.
The incident took place at a popular chole bhature stall near a busy traffic junction. According to the complaint filed by the vendor, the fraud began when a young man arrived at the stall, ordered food, and later claimed he urgently needed money for a medical emergency involving a relative admitted to a hospital.
The accused reportedly requested ₹4,000 and assured the vendor the amount would be returned in cash. After repeated emotional appeals, the shopkeeper transferred the money through a Google Pay QR code shared by the customer.
The scam allegedly escalated when the man claimed he had left his wallet in a nearby vehicle and asked one of the stall employees to accompany him. During this distraction, the accused reportedly disappeared from the area.
Later, the vendor discovered suspicious activity in his bank account linked to a digital payment application. Transaction alerts revealed that an additional ₹95,000 had allegedly been withdrawn without authorization from his ICICI Bank-linked Google Pay account, taking the total loss to ₹99,000.
Reports stated that the funds were transferred to a UPI account registered under the name “Rajeev Pandey.” Investigators are now examining whether the account is genuine or linked to a wider mule account network used in cyber fraud operations.
Police have launched a cybercrime investigation and are analysing payment records, device data, and beneficiary account details to trace the fraud network.
In another similar case from the region, a retired merchant navy officer allegedly lost ₹4.2 lakh in a fake online job investment scam promoted through social media. Fraudsters reportedly promised high commissions through work-from-home opportunities before blocking access after demanding additional payments as “tax clearance.”
Cybersecurity experts warned that such scams increasingly combine emotional pressure with digital payment systems, making small business owners and informal workers especially vulnerable.
Authorities have advised citizens not to transfer money to unknown individuals under pressure and to carefully verify all UPI transactions before authorising payments.
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