Bhubaneswar: Since its launch early this month, Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has ruffled quite a few feathers. The satirical online movement that has gained the traction of youths across social media platforms has also caught the fancy of cyber crooks, who are using the name CJP to dupe people.The arrest of four men in separate cyber fraud cases on Thursday has exposed a disturbing new trend where the accused have been disguising APK files in unsuspecting messages and luring people to join CJP with promise of rewards, leaving them open to getting duped.Since CJP’s membership drive is largely digital, scammers have piggybacked on its popularity. “It is the latest trick to hack your phone and steal your money. Do not make the mistake of clicking such fake links. Be alert and careful,” cyber police station ACP Suchismita Das said.Police identified the accused as Ayan Nandi (27) from West Bengal’s Nadia district, Allaudin Ansari (36) of Jharkhand’s Jamtara, and Abhisek Kumar Das (21) and Birendra Das (20) from Jharkhand’s Deoghar district. They were allegedly involved in investment scams and APK file frauds.“We discovered that the group developed AI-generated phishing links embedded with suspicious and virus-infected files. These links were circulated with promises of joining the Cockroach Janata Party and winning rewards,” said ACP Das.Although no formal complaint has been filed yet against frauds in the guise of CJP, ACP Das stated that investigations are underway to determine whether victims were duped using this modus operandi.Police have urged citizens to remain vigilant, noting that cyber scammers are quick to exploit popular trends. The Cockroach Janata Party, which emerged online through memes and commentary on unemployment, education policy, and alleged exam paper leaks, became one of the country’s most talked-about digital campaigns within days of its launch.Sources revealed that fraudsters have been sending WhatsApp messages to young people, inviting them to join CJP with various slogans — accompanied by malicious links.Police said that once a user clicks on such links, their phone can be compromised instantly. Banking details, passwords, and personal data become accessible to criminals, who can siphon money or even take loans worth lakhs in the victim’s name.
