The incident occurred last year in November while the student was listening to a spiritual content on YouTube, when he encountered a contact number for an astrologer, who promised to enhance his career prospects and bring him good luck. The student, believing the fraudulent claims, paid the astrologer Rs. 50,659 in three installments as demanded. Subsequently, the astrologer blocked all communication with the victim.

Deceived and distressed, the student contacted the South Suburban Division (SSD) Cyber Cell to report the incident.

“Taking the complaint seriously, the Cyber Cell initiated an investigation, lodged a complaint with the MHA NCRP Portal, and contacted the beneficiary bank. Through these efforts, the Cyber Cell successfully blocked the fraudster’s bank account and recovered the entire amount of Rs. 50,659, which was subsequently returned to the victim’s account,” said a senior SSD police official.

The student acknowledged the Kolkata Police and Cyber team’s efforts who retrieved the amount within 21 days.

“I want to give a special thanks to the Kolkata police and the cyber cell. The cyber team of South Suburban Division acted swiftly and recovered the entire amount within 21 days. I am visually impaired and studying in Jadavpur University….My father is a senior citizen and can’t work properly. I am continuing my education with the help of scholarships. On November 7, 2024 I was duped of a large amount of money. I was depressed. On November 27, I filed a complaint. Kolkata SSD Cyber Cell started the probe and within a month I got my money back. I would request everyone if they have faced any cyber fraud, please don’t hesitate, go to the cyber cell,” he wrote.