A sitting High Court judge — the person who literally adjudicates cyber fraud cases — Googled a bank helpline, called a fake number, installed a WhatsApp APK from a stranger, and lost ₹6 lakh. The scammer was a 25-year-old from Jamtara.
In a plot twist that writes itself, a sitting Bombay High Court judge became the latest victim of Jamtara's thriving cyber fraud industry. The judge tried to redeem HDFC credit card reward points, couldn't reach customer care through official channels (relatable), Googled a helpline number (less relatable for someone who sentences people for this), called a fake one, and then — in a move that would get a defendant laughed out of his own courtroom — installed a WhatsApp APK file sent by the scammer. ₹6.02 lakh vanished. The arrested fraudster, 25-year-old Mazhar Alam from Jamtara, was linked to 36 complaints across 10 states. Mumbai's Cuffe Parade cyber cell spent 10 days in Jamtara to crack the case, which is roughly 9 days longer than the scam itself took.