Ludhiana: Cybercrime police have dismantled a fraudulent lottery racket operating out of Bihar following a string of complaints from local residents. Officers arrested Prabhat Kumar, a resident of Purnia, after conducting coordinated raids across several locations in Bihar, including Nawada and Patna.The syndicate allegedly targeted victims through WhatsApp messages and phone calls, luring them with claims of a significant lottery win. Once a victim was convinced, the scammers demanded payments ranging from ₹5,000 to ₹10,000 under the guise of registration fees, processing charges, and other administrative formalities.To finalize the deception, victims were instructed to collect their prizes from a “Gandhi Lottery” counter supposedly located at a prominent public landmark. However, victims only realised they had been defrauded upon arriving at the location and discovering no such counter existed.Inspector Satbir Singh, SHO of the cybercrime police station, stated that the investigation was triggered by five formal complaints, all of which led back to Kumar. Authorities suspect many more people have fallen prey to the scheme and expect additional complaints to surface as the investigation continues.
