Two Men Arrested In Delhi For Creating Fake Covid Vaccination Website, Duped Rs 40 Lakh

Delhi: Delhi Police Cyber Cell has arrested two men for allegedly creating a fake Covid vaccination registration website to target people desperately searching for an empty slot, and duping thousands to the tune of Rs 40 lakh.

According to police, the accused Shekhar Periyar and Ashok Singh have created a website that is similar to the government’s CoWin portal and charged Rs 4,000 to Rs 6,000 from each user. They also provided them with fake registration receipts.

It also said, At least five such fake websites and portals have been blocked by the Delhi Police to date, who are also on the lookout for other accused involved in creating such websites and portals.

A senior police officer said, “We have received several complaints from people on our helpline numbers and through social media complaining how they lost money after registering for the Covid vaccine. Most of the complainants were trying to find a slot on the original website but couldn’t get one. They then searched online and came across these fake websites. Some of the users were asked to pay for the slots, which they did, and were provided with fake receipts for the vaccination.”

“The fake website had the same links and documents as the original. The victims thought they were accessing the original or an alternative provided by the government. They were then directed to two payment links, which charged them Rs 4,000 to Rs 6,000,” said the officer.

After the case was registered, police immediately blocked the website with help from internet service providers. During the investigation, police found that the accused were operating from West Bengal.

An officer from the Cyber Cell said, “We sent our teams to the state and arrested Periyar from Siliguri. He was cheating people all over the country with his fake website. We also found transactions worth Rs 40 lakh from his bank account.”

Meanwhile, cautioning people against such fake websites, a Delhi Police spokesperson said, “The accused send links of their fake websites through bulk messages and on social media. These websites, which are similar to the original website, then ask for Aadhaar card and bank details and steal personal information and money.”

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