Major Scam via UPCOP App: Three Fraudsters Arrested in Kaushambi for Stealing Victims’ Data

Kaushambi, UP: The Uttar Pradesh Police’s UPCOP app, designed to enhance citizen safety, has been misused by criminals for large-scale fraud. In a shocking case from Kaushambi, police have arrested three members of a gang who exploited the app to extort money by targeting families of missing girls.

According to police, the gang downloaded FIR copies of missing or runaway children from the UPCOP app and then impersonated police officers to contact the victims’ families. Claiming to have located the missing girls, the fraudsters demanded hefty sums of money in exchange for their “safe return.” The Saini Police launched an investigation after a complaint was lodged about an extortion of ₹50,000, allegedly by a person claiming to be an SHO.

Incident Details
Kaushambi Superintendent of Police Rajesh Kumar stated that on December 24, 2025, Sunil Kumar of Banpukra village in Saini filed a complaint at the local police station. He alleged that someone impersonating a police officer demanded ₹50,000 to recover his long-missing daughter and, after gaining his trust, instructed him to transfer the money. Subsequently, the perpetrator’s phone was switched off, and he vanished.

UPCOP App Misused for Fraud
Following the complaint, the Cyber Police apprehended Deependra Yadav, Pradeep Kumar, and Ajay Kumar, residents of Jhansi, and began questioning them. The accused revealed that they routinely downloaded FIRs from the UPCOP app to obtain personal details of missing children. They then contacted families posing as police officers and extorted large sums in the name of returning the children.

The gang also used threats of revealing obscene videos to coerce victims into transferring money. In the Kaushambi case, Sunil Kumar was duped of ₹50,000 under this scheme. Police have emphasized that such misuse of the UPCOP app is a serious offense, and ongoing investigations aim to uncover the full extent of the scam.