- Gujarat Cyber Centre busted interstate cyber extortion racket targeting thousands across India
- Gang sold fake stamina medicines online and extorted buyers posing as law enforcement officials
- Raids in Ahmedabad and Uttar Pradesh led to arrest of seven, including mastermind Dhirendra Rajawat
The Gujarat Cyber Centre of Excellence has busted a massive interstate cyber extortion racket that targeted thousands of citizens across India.
Operating through sophisticated call centers, the gang exploited personal vulnerabilities by selling fake stamina-enhancing medicines online and then extorted the buyers by posing as law enforcement officials.
The police conducted strategic raids at two operational call centers in the Vastral area of Ahmedabad and intercepted a third facility just as it was being set up in Bidhuna, Uttar Pradesh. A total of seven individuals have been arrested in connection with the crime, including the alleged mastermind, thirty-six-year-old Dhirendra Pratap Singh Rajawat, who managed the illegal operations.
According to the investigators, the syndicate ran targeted advertisements on popular social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram under manufactured brand names such as Ashwani Ayurveda. Using frictionless lead generation forms, they captured the personal data of users looking for health products, later shipping parcels through post and courier services.
The real trap closed in once a transaction was initiated. If a customer accepted the parcel, syndicate members would call them pretending to be local police officers or representatives from the District Superintendent office. The victims were falsely informed that they had ordered banned drugs and that an FIR had been registered against them, facing immediate arrest unless they paid up.
In cases where customers refused to accept the delivery, the callers shifted their tactics by posing as doctors or legal advisors. They threatened the victims with legal notices for causing financial losses to the company, demanding extortion payments ranging between two thousand rupees to one lakh rupees to settle the fabricated cases.
A deep technical analysis of the seized computers and electronic data revealed that the gang had already defrauded approximately four thousand to five thousand unsuspecting citizens. Furthermore, financial investigations uncovered fourteen distinct bank accounts linked to the accused, which recorded fraudulent transactions exceeding five crore rupees.
The enforcement team recovered substantial evidence during the crackdown, including forty-four mobile phones, twenty-three computer systems, laptops, fake corporate stamps, and sample medicine packaging. Following the operation, the cyber crime department has urged citizens to verify online healthcare sellers carefully and to immediately report any suspicious digital extortion activities to the national cyber helpline.
