In Uttarakhand, three people, including a teacher, were duped of lakhs of rupees in the name of Nirmala Sitharaman and Sundar Pichai.

News Topical, Digital Desk : Cyber ​​fraudsters in Uttarakhand have defrauded three people of lakhs of rupees by using the names of prominent figures like Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. These individuals include a retired teacher, a company director, and a Dehradun resident. All three fell for this scam and lost a combined total of over 83 lakh rupees.

Seeing Facebook ads, people were lured by the lure of huge profits.

Makar Singh Negi, a retired teacher from the Ghat area of ​​Chamoli district, was browsing Facebook in August last year when he came across an advertisement. It featured photos of the Finance Minister and Sundar Pichai, claiming to invest just 21,000 rupees and earn substantial profits. Then, in September, a person named Sanjay contacted him, linked him to "Mudra One Trade," opened a demat account, and installed a mobile app. Then began the money laundering racket. 

Between September and October, ₹2371,000 was transferred from his account via UPI and RTGS. When he tried to withdraw the money from his demat account, nothing happened. Only then did the teacher realize he had been duped.

 A company director's number was blocked and a transaction worth lakhs was carried out. 

The case of Anand Swaroop Gupta, director of Anandam Sweets Private Limited in Dehradun, is slightly different and more shocking. On February 9, 2026, ₹2.495 million was withdrawn from his company's HDFC Bank account in four separate transactions. His mobile phone number also suddenly shut down that same day, only to be activated on February 12th. When he checked his account on February 16th, he was shocked. It is believed that the fraudsters first deactivated his phone through a SIM swap or some other technical manipulation, and then emptied his account.

34 lakh fraud committed by showing SEBI registration number

Raja Ram Bhatt of Dehradun joined a WhatsApp group called "Market Strategy Research Forum" in December 2025 after seeing a trading advertisement on Facebook. The group members presented themselves as legitimate investment advisors by showing their SEBI registration number and made him download an app called "SCSLPMA."

To gain trust, they initially offered a withdrawal of ₹5,000. Then, gradually, ₹3.475 million was deposited into various accounts. When they requested a withdrawal of ₹4 million, they were refused, and a further ₹10.93 million was demanded as a "service fee." After this, the fraudsters cut off contact.

Police warn against blindly trusting investment advertisements

In all three cases, cases have been registered at the Cyber ​​Police Station in Dehradun under sections of the IT Act and the Indian Penal Code. The police have clearly stated that one should not blindly trust investment advertisements circulating on social media under the guise of a prominent name or organization. Before investing any money, seek official confirmation of the scheme, as a single careless click could cost a lifetime of savings.

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