Lucknow: An 11-year-old boy from Kushinagar, who went missing after being scolded by his family for not studying, was traced to a hotel in Surat on Tuesday. But cyber fraudsters exploited his disappearance to extort money from his family.The boy went missing on Thursday after being reprimanded by his father. His family posted his photograph and other details on social media seeking help in tracing him.Soon after, the family began receiving calls from unidentified persons who claimed to have the boy in their custody. The callers demanded Rs 50,000 as ransom and threatened to harm the boy if the money was not paid.Under pressure, the family transferred around Rs 12,000 in multiple transactions to accounts specified by the callers. The demands continued despite the payments.Police said the fraudsters also made repeated calls from different locations and continued claiming that the boy was in their possession.The boy’s disappearance initially led police to investigate it as a possible kidnapping-for-ransom case. Teams tracked his mobile location and searched possible locations in Bihar and Prayagraj.“The case took a new turn on Tuesday when the boy called his mother and informed her that he was staying at a hotel in Surat and was safe. Kushinagar police through its sources subsequently contacted the hotel owner through a video call and confirmed the boy’s identity and safety,” said Kushinagar SP Keshav Kumar.Police said Sagar had gone to Surat, where some people from his village live. He is currently with a distant relative.A police team will travel to Surat to bring him back.SP added that police have launched a separate investigation into the suspected cyber fraud. Officials are examining the phone numbers used to contact the family, call details and the bank accounts into which the money was transferred. Investigators are also trying to determine how the fraudsters obtained boy’s photographs and information about his disappearance from social media. Police said an FIR has been registered against the suspected cyber fraudsters.
