Kanpur journalist tricks scammer into losing money

A journalist in Kanpur successfully tricked a conman who was pretending to be a CBI officer. The scammer tried to extort money but ended up losing cash instead. On March 6, Bhupendra Singh received a phone call while preparing for his wedding anniversary. The caller claimed to be from the Central Bureau of Investigation and told Singh that an obscene video of him had gone viral. This news shocked Singh, who rushed to check his phone. The caller’s picture seemed official, adding to his alarm. Feeling scared, Singh received another message from the scammer. It looked like a complaint, but he suspected it was fake. Using Google Lens to investigate, he confirmed his fears about being targeted by a scam. Singh quickly created a plan to outsmart the conman. An hour later, the scammer called again. He claimed Singh had been charged with a crime and demanded a fine of ₹16,000 to avoid trouble. Singh pretended he needed more time to gather the money. The scammer, acting as a deputy superintendent of police, agreed to give him a 24-hour extension. The following day, Singh called the scammer with a story about stealing a gold chain and needed ₹3,000 to get it back. The scammer, eager to help, sent the money through a digital payment app. Singh then concocted another story, claiming more money was needed for interest. As the scam progressed, Singh claimed he was a minor and needed more funds for a loan processing fee. The scammer sent money again, but soon ran out of patience. He even mentioned he had borrowed money from his wife to help Singh. Finally, realizing the absurdity of the situation, Singh responded angrily and decided enough was enough. He reported the scammer to the cybercrime cell. Kanpur police confirmed they are investigating the case, with all necessary information collected.