Kolkata, 19 January (H.S.) :
Cyber fraudsters are increasingly targeting business families in West Bengal under the guise of government loan schemes. In a recent case from West Medinipur district, a local businessman was allegedly duped of more than ₹1.34 lakh after being lured with promises of a loan under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PEMGP).
The victim, Devashish Khan, a businessman from the Jagannath Temple area of Medinipur town and a relative of the Medinipur Municipality chairman, was reportedly planning to expand his business and was exploring loan options under the central government scheme in December 2025. During this period, unknown cyber criminals contacted him, posing as officials from a government department, and gained his trust.
According to the complaint, the fraudsters initially sent loan application formats and collected business-related documents, including trade licence papers. Subsequently, they began demanding money under various pretexts. The victim was first asked to pay ₹11,000 in the name of “loan insurance”, followed by ₹54,000 as a “one-time settlement charge”, and finally ₹68,000 as an “inspection fee”.
Despite transferring a total amount of ₹1.34 lakh, the promised loan was never credited to his bank account, following which the businessman realised he had been cheated.
On Sunday evening, officials from the cyber crime wing confirmed the incident and said that the victim has lodged complaints with the National Cyber Crime Portal as well as the local cyber cell. Authorities said the bank accounts to which the money was transferred are being examined and efforts are underway to trace the accused using technical evidence.
Reacting to the incident, Medinipur Municipality chairman Soumen Khan said that cheating people in the name of government schemes is a serious matter and called for strict action against those involved.
Cyber experts have also issued a caution, stating that no government loan scheme requires any advance payment before loan approval. They have urged citizens to remain alert against such calls or messages and to verify information through official channels before sharing documents or transferring money.
Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh
