Delhi Police nab Lucknow social media influencer in cyber fraud case

A 19-year-old social media influencer from Lucknow has been arrested by the Delhi Police for his alleged involvement in a Rs 1.81-lakh cyber fraud, an official said on Sunday.

Hukum Singh Rawat alias Anuj, a second-year BA student from Lucknow, allegedly sold his bank accounts to an interstate cybercrime syndicate to finance his online career, the official said.

“Rawat had nearly 1 lakh followers on social media and aspired to become a prominent influencer. In his pursuit of fame, he allegedly sold multiple personal bank accounts to a cyber fraud network for a commission ranging between 4 to 5 per cent per transaction,” a police officer said.

According to the police, Rawat came under the scanner during the probe into a cyber fraud case in which a Delhi resident was duped of Rs 1.81 lakh by a person impersonating an Army official on social media marketplace.

The money trail led the police to bank accounts linked to Rawat, they said, adding that he was nabbed on October 14 following a detailed probe.

“During questioning, the accused told police that he had used the illegal proceeds to hire local artists and buy video production equipment to enhance his social media content,” the officer said.

Rawat admitted knowing that the accounts would be used for online work but claimed ignorance about their connection to cyber fraud, the officer added.

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The police have seized digital evidence and frozen multiple accounts linked to the accused. Further investigation is underway to identify others involved in the racket.