Actor Disha Patani’s father, Jagdish Singh Patani a retired deputy superintendent of police (DSP), has fallen victim to a Rs 25 lakh fraud under the pretext of being offered a senior position in a government commission. Currently residing in Civil Lines, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, he had filed an FIR at the Bareilly Kotwali Police Station on November 15, 2024.

How Did It Start?

The defrauding act involved an acquaintance of Patani. He knows one of the accused, Shivendra Pratap Singh, personally, and had thus trusted him. However, the fraud extended beyond Singh, with four other individuals implicated in the case.

D.K. Sharma, in-charge, Kotwali Police Station, Bareilly told PTI: “A case has been registered against Shivendra Pratap Singh, Diwakar Garg, Acharya Jayaprakash from Juna Akhara, Preeti Garg, and one unidentified person for cheating, criminal intimidation, and extortion.”

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In his police complaint, Patani stated that he already knew Singh, who introduced him to Garg and Jayaprakash. These individuals claimed to have strong political affiliations and promised to use their connections to secure Patani a high-ranking position in a government commission.

Believing Singh and his accomplices, Patani fell victim to their false promises, hoping for a senior government post. Reportedly, they demanded money, and Patani paid Rs 25 lakh; Rs 5 lakh in cash, and Rs 20 lakh by transferring money to three different bank accounts.

While details about these accounts remain undisclosed, they might have been mule accounts. Recently, the Center directed different banks to freeze approximately 4.5 lakh mule accounts, including the State Bank of India and Punjab National Bank, among others.

Also Read: Amid Rising Incidents Of Cyber Fraud, Centre Freezes 450,000 Mule Accounts In Banks

To gain Patani’s trust, the scammers initially promised to return the money along with interest when delays occurred. However, when Patani finally demanded his money back after noticing no progress in the promised job, they became aggressive and allegedly threatened him, according to reports.

In the entire defrauding act, the fraudsters included another person as an “officer on special duty” to win back Patani’s trust in them.

However, suspecting it to be a fraud of a larger scale, he lodged the complaint with the police.

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Frauds, Awareness, And Action

There have been numerous cases of fraud where victims have been deceived by unknown individuals. Digital scams are becoming increasingly common, and even senior individuals who have retired from high-ranking positions are falling victim to such frauds, losing significant amounts of money.

Sometimes, victims unknowingly click on malicious links, allowing fraudsters to illicitly access their online data. At other times, these scams involve luring victims with promises of lucrative jobs, unusually high investment returns, or even faking the voice of a friend or family member in urgent need of money. These are among the most prevalent methods used by fraudsters to dupe their victims.

For digital arrest, the common modus operandi involves calling unsuspecting people and cheating them by impersonating officials from law enforcement agencies, such as the police, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), etc.

Also Read: Digital Fraud And Digital Arrest: Know Its Modus Operandi, And How To Protect Yourself From Such Threats

In Patani’s case, the involvement of someone he trusted made the fraud seem credible, but he realised the deception sooner rather than later. While fraudsters continue to devise new ways to cheat people, it is crucial to stay vigilant and aware of their tactics.

If you suspect a fraudulent call, SMS, or WhatsApp message, you can report it to the Department of Telecommunication’s (DoT) Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu portal). In the event of fraud, report it immediately to the police or call 1930. You can also file an online complaint at the government’s cybercrime portal.