AHMEDABAD: The Surat Cyber Crime Police have uncovered an alleged nationwide cyber fraud in which women were cheated in the name of weight-loss treatment. The racket, allegedly operated under the banner of Curest Science & Wellness Pvt. Ltd, used fake websites, misleading advertisements and telemarketing calls to lure victims into buying costly medicines.
The investigation began after a complaint was registered with the Surat Cyber Crime Police. During a raid at a call centre in Gurugram, police found a large operation involving around 100 to 150 telecallers allegedly contacting potential victims across the country using scripted sales pitches.
Police have arrested four accused. They include Mohammad Husnai alias Rahul Raj, who allegedly posed as a courier delivery executive and collected cash while delivering medicine parcels, Heena, who allegedly gained the trust of women over phone calls before convincing them to buy expensive treatments, Nisha Kumari, who allegedly used the fake identity of "Priya Gupta" to sell medicines worth lakhs of rupees, and Om Prakash Rajak, who allegedly delivered medicine parcels from Delhi and collected cash from customers.
Police said the alleged masterminds, Amit Gaurav, believed to be the company's director, Pankaj Sharma, identified as the Director and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Deepak and Asrlan, remain absconding. Investigators alleged that Asrlan impersonated medical experts using fake identities such as "Dr MK Khanna" and "Dr Akash Malhotra" to convince victims that the medicines were medically approved.
According to investigators, the accused used fake websites, social media advertisements and fabricated medical consultations to gain the confidence of victims before persuading them to purchase costly medicine packages.
Police said the syndicate allegedly carried out most transactions in cash to avoid detection. Preliminary findings suggest the racket handled nearly Rs 2 crore in cash every month and may have cheated victims of around Rs 75 crore to Rs 80 crore over the past four years.
Speaking about the investigation, Additional Commissioner of Police, Surat, Dr. Karanraj Vaghela said, "This company was cheating women across the country by posing as a weight-loss treatment company. Based on the complaint registered by the Surat Cyber Crime Police, coordinated action was initiated in Gurugram. So far, four accused have been arrested, including Mohammad Husnai alias Rahul Raj, who posed as a courier boy to collect cash, along with two women involved in convincing victims over phone calls and another member connected to the operation. Our investigation is continuing to identify and arrest the remaining key conspirators."
Explaining the financial operations of the racket, Dr. Vaghela said, "The gang's modus operandi was entirely cash-based. Every month, the company allegedly handled nearly Rs 2 crore in cash through medicine deliveries and collections. Based on our preliminary investigation, we suspect the racket may have cheated victims of approximately Rs 75 to Rs 80 crore during the last four years. The financial trail is being examined in detail, and further arrests are expected."
Police have intensified the search for the remaining accused and are expanding the investigation to identify more victims and trace the money trail across multiple states.
They have also advised people to be cautious of health-related advertisements on social media and fake websites, and to verify the authenticity of companies before making payments or sharing personal information.
