In a uncommon case of cyber fraud, a Prayagraj resident and engineer pursuing a postgraduate course in Cyber Safety in the US was duped of almost ₹1.86 lakh by a person posing as a consultant of a pretend cyber safety coaching institute. The quantity was paid in three instalments between September 2023 and January 2025 for a complicated cyber safety course that by no means commenced.
Georgetown station home officer (SHO) Santosh Singh confirmed {that a} case has been registered towards the accused, recognized as Archit Srivastava alias Archit Nandan of Hazratganj, Lucknow. (Sourced)
The sufferer, Pratik Bose, an engineer and resident of Georgetown space, is at the moment pursuing his grasp’s diploma in cyber safety from a non-public college in Massachusetts. The matter got here to mild after his mom, Reena Bose, filed a police criticism on the George City police station on his behalf.
In accordance with the FIR, Pratik had beforehand labored for round eight years in Kolkata after finishing his B.Tech from a college in Odisha. Whereas learning within the US, he looked for superior on-line programs in cyber safety and got here throughout an organization named Quantum World Applied sciences Inc., claiming to supply such programs from India.
In September 2023, Pratik acquired a telephone name from one Archit Srivastava, a resident of Hazratganj, Lucknow. Introducing himself as a supervisor at Quantum World Applied sciences Inc., Archit provided Pratik a complicated cyber safety course at a reduced worth.
Lured by the proposal, Pratik transferred ₹1.75 lakh to the accused’s checking account for enrolment within the course. Nonetheless, the lessons by no means commenced. Three months later, when Pratik enquired in regards to the course standing, Archit demanded an extra ₹10,000 as a ‘registration fee’.
Regardless of repeated funds and reassurances, the course didn’t start even after a 12 months.
In January 2025, Archit once more demanded ₹1,000 as a ‘re-registration’ payment, claiming a brand new on-line batch would begin from April 15 as a result of an organization change.
When the promised lessons didn’t materialise, Pratik grew suspicious and knowledgeable his mom in Prayagraj. Performing on his directions, she filed a criticism with the police.
Georgetown station home officer (SHO) Santosh Singh confirmed {that a} case has been registered towards the accused, recognized as Archit Srivastava alias Archit Nandan of Hazratganj, Lucknow. “We have lodged a named FIR and are conducting further investigation,” he mentioned. The FIR has been filed below Part 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Part 66D of the Info Know-how (Amendments) Act, 2008.