DEHRADUN: A youngster from Bihar, misled by forged Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) results and a fake selection letter, reached the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie with his parents to begin training as an IAS officer, only to discover he had been duped by cybercriminals.Pushpesh Singh, 28, a resident of Saran district working for a private company in Gurgaon, told police he was contacted by unknown persons claiming to be from UPSC. They conducted a fake online exam, declared him selected, and shared a forged merit list and training schedule on WhatsApp. Convinced, he paid Rs 30,000 to the accused before travelling to Mussoorie with his family.LBSNAA officials stopped Pushpesh at the entrance and alerted Mussoorie police after spotting discrepancies in the documents. A team reached the spot and upon verifying the documents and questioning him, found he had fallen prey to an elaborate scam. The local intelligence unit and Intelligence Bureau were also informed.Dehradun SSP Ajai Singh said, “The documents appeared genuine at first glance, with official stamps and rank listings. Since the fraud occurred while he was in Gurgaon, we registered a zero FIR under BNS section 318(4) (cheating) at the Mussoorie police station. The case has been transferred to Gurgaon police which will now carry out the investigation in the case.”The case follows a pattern of similar cybercrimes targeting civil service aspirants, particularly those from smaller towns. In May 2023, Jharkhand police uncovered a racket offering fake IPS postings for Rs 2 lakh. “Pushpesh holds a degree and had no doubts about the documents. He had no reason to suspect anything was wrong until he was turned away at the gate,” said an officer who is part of the inquiry.About the AuthorKalyan DasPrincipal Correspondent at TOI Dehradun, covering crime, defence, power and off-beat human interest stories.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos”Sport Should Be Kept Apart From Politics” Tharoor On Mustafizur RowProbe Reveals Red Fort Blast Module Used ‘Ghost’ SIM Cards For Encrypted ChatsMatter Of Deep Concern: MEA Reacts To US Strikes On Venezuela, Urges Restraint’Lunatic Rulers’: Shashi Tharoor, Singhvi, Owaisi, Other Indian Leaders On US Strikes In VenezuelaIndian Army Raises Bhairav Special Force With Over One Lakh Drone Operatives For Modern WarfareCM Revanth Reddy’s Remarks In Telangana Assembly Sparks Row, BRS Slams ‘Filthy Language’‘If Trump Can Capture Maduro, Why Can’t Modi Bring Back 26/11 Mastermind From Pakistan’: Owaisi‘Avoid All Non-Essential Travel To Venezuela’: India Issues Advisory For Citizens After US Strikes”No Control Over Minority Violence In Bangladesh…”: Former Indian Envoy Slams Yunus Govt“Infamous For His Tour With Anti-National Propaganda”: BJP Rips Rahul Gandhi Over Vietnam Visit123PhotostoriesPCOS beyond periods: How it affects mental health and metabolismMood fixes to outsmart the Monday blues before 9 AM20 minutes visceral fat-burning exercise routine to try at home4 everyday foods that help babies learn to chew naturally10 cheapest markets in Mumbai for street shoppingBeyond the Birkin: 5 times Aishwarya Rai Bachchan proved the ‘Mom Bag’ is the ultimate luxury flex8 common Japanese words and phrases worth learningNayanthara to Tara Sutaria: Decoding first looks of ‘Toxic’s female cast – Who understood the assignment best?Vaginal health: NHS doc debunks popular myths women still believe6 places where the world’s deadliest snakes are found123Hot PicksUS strikes VenezuelaVande Bharat Sleeper TrainPublic holidays January 2026Gold rate todayDelcy RodríguezVivek RamaswamyBank Holidays JanuaryTop TrendingSan Francisco 49ersBrittany MahomesNoah Lyles and Junelle Bromfield Net WorthWayne Gretzky Daughter Net WorthSidney Crosby LifestyleLeBron James vs Stephen Curry Net WorthTom BradyLeBron James WifeCam ThomasCharlie Kirk
DEHRADUN: A youngster from Bihar, misled by forged Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) results and a fake selection letter, reached the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie with his parents to begin training as an IAS officer, only to discover he had been duped by cybercriminals.Pushpesh Singh, 28, a resident of Saran district working for a private company in Gurgaon, told police he was contacted by unknown persons claiming to be from UPSC. They conducted a fake online exam, declared him selected, and shared a forged merit list and training schedule on WhatsApp. Convinced, he paid Rs 30,000 to the accused before travelling to Mussoorie with his family.LBSNAA officials stopped Pushpesh at the entrance and alerted Mussoorie police after spotting discrepancies in the documents. A team reached the spot and upon verifying the documents and questioning him, found he had fallen prey to an elaborate scam. The local intelligence unit and Intelligence Bureau were also informed.Dehradun SSP Ajai Singh said, “The documents appeared genuine at first glance, with official stamps and rank listings. Since the fraud occurred while he was in Gurgaon, we registered a zero FIR under BNS section 318(4) (cheating) at the Mussoorie police station. The case has been transferred to Gurgaon police which will now carry out the investigation in the case.”The case follows a pattern of similar cybercrimes targeting civil service aspirants, particularly those from smaller towns. In May 2023, Jharkhand police uncovered a racket offering fake IPS postings for Rs 2 lakh. “Pushpesh holds a degree and had no doubts about the documents. He had no reason to suspect anything was wrong until he was turned away at the gate,” said an officer who is part of the inquiry.
