Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 24: In a chilling reminder of the growing menace of cyber fraud, a woman from a remote village in Arunachal Pradesh allegedly orchestrated a sophisticated international online scam, duping a Kashmiri businessman of over ₹26 lakh by masquerading as a UK-based pharmaceutical executive.
The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Crime Branch Kashmir has filed a chargesheet in the high-profile case, exposing a carefully planned impersonation racket that thrived on fake identities, forged documents, and false promises of international business profits.
According to investigators, the accused projected herself as “Christiana,” a resident of the United Kingdom and Secretary of Abbott Pharmaceuticals, UK, to trap the unsuspecting businessman. Using polished social media profiles and fabricated credentials, she lured the victim into a bogus business deal with claims of lucrative returns.
Blinded by the promise of a high-value international partnership, the businessman transferred more than Rs 25 lakh through multiple transactions into bank accounts controlled by the accused.
On Wednesday, Crime Branch Kashmir filed the chargesheet before the Court of Judge Small Causes, Srinagar, in connection with FIR No. 17/2020, registered under Sections 419, 420, 468, and 471 of the RPC, along with Section 66-D of the Information Technology Act.
The chargesheet names Jumbom Riba, daughter of Henjum Riba, a resident of Village Pagi, under Police Station Basar in Lepa Rada district (formerly West Siang) of Arunachal Pradesh. She has been accused of running a well-organised online cheating and impersonation racket with international ramifications.
The case originated from a written complaint in which the victim stated that he was contacted via social media by the accused, who introduced herself as a senior executive of a reputed UK pharmaceutical firm.
Under the guise of offering dealership rights for a product named “Agasina Nut,” allegedly sourced from Arunachal Pradesh, the accused promised hefty profits backed by a fake international purchase agreement.
Convinced by the elaborate setup, the complainant transferred approximately ₹26.25 lakh into multiple bank accounts. Investigators revealed that the fraud was further reinforced through a staged and fake currency conversion demonstration, designed to lend authenticity to the scam.
During the investigation, Crime Branch Kashmir uncovered that the accused used forged voter ID cards and other non-genuine identity documents to open multiple bank accounts under the names Tabu Juli and Aisha Kholi across different banks.
These accounts were operated by the accused herself to route, divert, and withdraw the cheated money. Transaction analysis showed rapid inter-bank transfers and swift cash withdrawals, with no legitimate source of income to justify the funds.
Investigators concluded that offences of cheating, impersonation, forgery, and use of forged documents as genuine were fully established. Consequently, the investigation has been declared proved, and the chargesheet has been submitted in absentia under Section 512 of the CrPC for judicial determination.
The Economic Offences Wing, Kashmir, has issued a strong advisory, urging citizens to remain vigilant and verify credentials thoroughly before entering into online or offline business dealings, warning that cyber fraudsters are becoming increasingly sophisticated. |
