Lucknow: A woman from Sant Kabir Nagar allegedly lost Rs 5 lakh to cyber fraudsters while trying to contact an astrologer for a family-related issue, police said on Saturday.Two of the accused have been arrested and sent to jail, while efforts are underway to arrest a third suspect, police said.Preliminary investigation revealed that while searching for an astrologer’s contact number on the internet, the woman came into contact with the fraudsters, who subsequently established contact with her.Police said the accused gained her confidence and obtained personal information from her. During a video call, they allegedly captured her images and later morphed them into obscene photographs and videos.The accused then began blackmailing her and allegedly threatened to circulate the content if she failed to pay money. The woman was allegedly forced to transfer money into different bank accounts and ultimately lost nearly ₹5 lakh.Investigators later examined the mobile numbers used in the crime and found transactions involving 15 to 20 women from different locations, raising suspicion of a larger blackmail and cyber fraud network.Cyber police circle officer Amit Kumar said, “Any facts or accused persons that emerge during the investigation will be incorporated into the case, and action will be taken accordingly.”
