Ahmedabad: Cyber Crime police have arrested three members of a fraud syndicate who posed as officials of Civil Hospital and AMC and allegedly duped a biodegradable packaging company of Rs 9.6 lakh after promising them a lucrative contract.Officers said the accused allegedly used AI-generated govt documents, fake employee identity cards and forged email accounts to make the proposal appear genuine.The complainant, a businessman who runs a packaging company in Satellite, was first contacted on WhatsApp in June by a man who identified himself as a purchase department employee at Civil Hospital. He allegedly sent forged request-for-quotation letters, purchase orders, and an employee ID card bearing the hospital’s seal, and held video meetings through a fake email account to build credibility.Investigators said the victim was promised an order to supply 2.5 lakh garbage bags and was told to obtain certain mandatory certifications before the contract could be awarded.The accused allegedly collected money under the guise of certification charges, vendor registration fees and earnest money deposits. Police said they also visited the businessman’s office and later claimed that the initial order would lead to recurring contracts across Gujarat, persuading him to make more payments.The fraud surfaced after the promised refund of the deposits was not made and the accused switched off their phones. The complainant then approached Cyber Crime police.Police identified the alleged kingpin as Rahul Sharma, a resident of Kubernagar. He is accused of planning the fraud, arranging sim cards and bank accounts, and creating forged Civil Hospital documents using AI.Co-accused Vipulsingh Tomar, a resident of Naroda, allegedly allowed his bank account to be used to route the money, while Aman Kushwaha, also from Kubernagar, allegedly posed as an AMC official and helped convince the victim to pay additional charges. Police said the trio is also wanted in another cheating case involving Rs 18.3 lakh registered in Changodar. They are suspected to have cheated other victims of around Rs 5 lakh using a similar modus operandi.
