CHANDIGARH, June 20: In a significant crackdown on cybercrime amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab Police’s State Cyber Crime police station has arrested a fraudster involved in multiple cases of OLX rental fraud. The accused, identified as Paramjit Singh, a resident of Kharar in Mohali, was arrested by Inspector Daljeet Singh following an analysis of cyber fraud data reported on the Pratibimb portal of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

Man Arrested for Duping 23 People of ₹5 Lakh via Fake OLX Rental Ads

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the arrested accused had cheated at least 23 victims belonging to the states from Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, duping them of approximately ₹5 lakh through fake rental advertisements on OLX. Sharing the modus operandi adopted by the accused person, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Cyber Crime V Neeraja said that the accused Paramjit Singh used to post fraudulent property ads on OLX, luring victims with attractive deals. “To gain their trust, he (accused) would share forged property documents and images. Once the victims agree to rent the property, he convinces them to transfer money. They send it as advance rent, security deposits, or registration fees via UPI or bank transfers,” she said. She added that the accused would stop responding to the customers once the payment was made.

Olx Rental fraud ; Accused Caught Transferring Money via UPI

The ADGP said that the probe has revealed crucial details. The accused used to transfer money from the customers to his different bank accounts. These included Axis Bank, Central Bank of India, Yes Bank, and HDFC Bank. He made transfers through UPI and other online modes of payment. Further investigations are underway to uncover more details, she said. A case FIR No. 07 dated 10.06.2025 has been registered. It falls under Sections 316(2) and 318(4) of BNS. Additionally, it is filed under Section 66D of the IT Act at the State Cyber Crime Police Station, Punjab. Meanwhile, ADGP Cyber Crime V Neeraja has advised the public to be cautious of the advertisements available on the OLX platform. She also advised them to refrain from making any advance payment. It is important to verify the advertisement before proceeding with any deal. If fraud occurs, the victim should immediately call Helpline 1930 to report Cyber Fraud. Alternatively, they can lodge the complaint at cybercrime.gov.in. For further information related to Cyber Frauds, ‘CYBER MITTAR’ Chatbot on  cybercrime.punjabpolice.gov.in can be accessed.