Punjab Police: Punjab Cyber Crime Division Busts Fake Mining Website Scam; Mastermind Arrested

In a major cybercrime breakthrough, the Punjab Police’s Cyber Crime Division has arrested the mastermind behind a fake website that impersonated the Mining Department of the Punjab Government. The accused, Gaurav Kumar, was running a sophisticated scam issuing fraudulent permits for illegal mining, resulting in an estimated loss of ₹40-50 lakh to the state exchequer.

In a significant breakthrough, the State Cyber Crime Division has arrested the main accused running a fake website impersonating the Mining Department of the Punjab Government. 

The main accused, Gaurav Kumar, has been arrested for cloning the Punjab Govt’s mining portal. He… pic.twitter.com/5AgLSdAY8B

— DGP Punjab Police (@DGPPunjabPolice) March 3, 2025

The investigation revealed that Gaurav Kumar, in collaboration with a mining businessman, cloned the Punjab Government’s official mining portal. He issued over 2000 fake mining permits by generating counterfeit QR codes and barcodes, allowing illegal transportation of mining materials while bypassing security checks.

Modus Operandi: Cloning, Fake Permits, and QR Code Fraud

🔹 Website Spoofing: The accused cloned the government’s official mining portal, making it look identical to the real one.

🔹 Fake Receipts Issued: Over 2000 fraudulent permits were generated and sold to transporters involved in illegal mining.

🔹 QR Code Manipulation: Scannable QR/barcodes were used to evade verification checks, enabling seamless movement of illegally mined materials.

🔹 Huge Revenue Loss: The scam resulted in a financial dent of ₹40-50 lakh to the Punjab government.

Crackdown & Investigation

A FIR has been registered, and the website’s backup, along with incriminating data, including fake receipts, vehicle images, and mining material details, has been recovered. Computer systems used in the crime have also been seized.

The Punjab Cyber Crime Division has assured strict action against online fraudsters, with further investigations ongoing to unravel the full network behind this illegal operation.